


My Promise to You

by Raiyaxx, taecin, WonderfulWonderWorld



Category: Voltron: Defenders of Tomorrow, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF!Keith, BAMF!Lance, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Cyberpunk AU, Defenders of Tomorrow AU, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith is emo even here, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance and Keith have a rly strong bond together owo, Lance is BEAUTIFUL, Leader! Lance, Leakira au, M/M, Protective Lance, Team Bonding, Team as Family, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, allura and coran are special species, keith is beautiful and deadly, protective keith, romelle is an artificial but she has life cause loovvee
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-07-12 08:13:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15991223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiyaxx/pseuds/Raiyaxx, https://archiveofourown.org/users/taecin/pseuds/taecin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderfulWonderWorld/pseuds/WonderfulWonderWorld
Summary: Leandro was just a kid when he first witnessed death before his eyes. The Galra attacked the little community he lived in known as Cuba and took captured everyone in sight. Those who refused were killed in an instant. That day, he saw his mother die in his arms as he was dragged away by the survivors. Destruction filled the air as explosions went off sending dust and rubble flying. He witnessed his world crumble right in front of his eyes.From that day forward, he pledged to end the Galra's rule.A Leakira cyberpunk AU where Leandro (Lance) is a fucking badass and Akira (Keith) is gay. The Galra are attacking and they both just need love in their lives.





	1. Their Encounter: Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note before the story starts: This story takes place around 2000 years in the future and takes place on a really big city called Galexia (I couldn't think of any other name :') im sorry) which is split up into many regions (i.e. Earth, Daibazal, Arus, etc) which can have their own little communities of houses and stuff like that. 
> 
> Also for those who are wondering, the characters have something called a Holoband which is just a bracelet that activates a hologram.
> 
> This is not the official Leakira AU thing. It's just taking the concept.

 

 

“He went down this way!”

 

Voices echoed down the road as Leandro turned into an alleyway. He frantically looked around for somewhere to hide before ducking behind a trash can. He shoved the stolen cash and USB chip into his pockets, panting as he peeked around the edges. Shouting could be heard and he ducked for cover as lights flooded the area. A small group turned the corner, a single Galra with multiple sentries following behind him, all carrying their blasters.

 

“I swear I saw him come here.” He heard the galran say as footsteps drew closer. Leandro felt his breath hitch as they neared and shifted; to his horror, his foot brushed against a tin can, which began to roll, the scratching of the can against pavement sounding impossibly

loud in the narrow alleyway.

 

The noise caught the Galra’s attention, and the sentries turned towards the sound, readying their blasters. Leandro heard the general approach the tin can, inspecting it. He trailed his eyes to the direction it came from, stopping right in front of the metal trash can Leandro was hiding behind; there was a long silence, and Leandro held his breath, knowing his cover was exposed.

 

“Fuck.” The cuban grimaced, jumping out from behind the dumpster. In one smooth motion, he drew his dual pistols and fired, the shots raining down upon his enemies. The galra general was taken by surprise, scrambling away from him, but Leandro didn’t give him any room to move. A bullet pierced one of the sentries right through the core, their body crumbled and hit the ground with a thump. He destroyed the robot, leaving it in a piles of scrap metal and shrapnel.

 

He turned to the rest of the sentries, their blasters all raised and aimed towards Leandro. His breath hitches as they began fire. He wove to the side, dodging the projectiles coming his way. The bullets flew past him, hitting the wall behind him instead. In the midst of all the action, he noticed something glowing in the corner of his eye. A faint purple light coming from behind a wooden crate against the wall. He carefully pulled a pistol from his waist and he aimed it towards the light. The bullet hit the crate with a bang, sending wooden splinters everywhere. He saw the Galran general frantically type something into his hologram. Quiet and quick mumbling came from the general.

 

“Tell Sendak. General Plarox has located the target.”

 

Leandro’s eyes widen.

 

_Sendak._

  


Leandro leaped into action, making a mad dash towards the galra general. He tackled the galra as they hit the ground with a ‘thump’. Leandro used his hands and pinned the other’s claws against the pavement and stared right into his eyes. The galra bared his teeth, his sharp canines exposed as he let out a growl.

 

Suddenly, Leandro heard the sound of multiple blasters charging up for fire. He barely managed to turn his head around before a bullet just missed his head, instead grazing his cheek. He took a glance back at the Galran pinned underneath him. A smug smirk was plastered on his purple face as he opened his mouth to speak.

 

“Sentries, attack!” He commands.

 

As if a switch went off, all the robot’s eyes blinked as if they were processing the order for a split second before they launched themselves into battle.

 

Leandro dove out of the way, pulling the Galran soldier with him as he rolled to the side. He raised his head and took in his surroundings. Two sentries to the right and five on the left. Three of them were running down the center, their weapons raised and ready to attack. They launched themselves onto Leandro, who cursed and released the general and pulled at the metallic arm wrapped around his body.

 

Prying the metal arm off his shoulders, he threw the robotic body at the onslaught of sentries running towards him. They crashed into each other efficiently destroying their bodies and leaving them in a mangled pile of robotic parts. He stood back up and eyed the remaining sentries, their blasters up and ready to fire.

 

Leandro dashed towards the sentries, picking up a large piece of scrap metal to block incoming shots as rammed two of the robots against the wall. He swung his leg into a roundhouse kick behind him, sending another upcoming sentry flying. He barely had enough time to destroy the core before another charged at him; in a rapid motion he plunged the gun against its hard metal shell and fired, the core shattering. Their metal bodies fell with a clatter, slumping to the ground like rag dolls.

 

Leandro turned to the galra general, who was backed up against the wall. His face split into a shit-eating grin. “It’s too late. Sendak knows you’re here, and he will destroy you.” He growls teasingly. The cuban smirked.

 

“Oh no, not him!” He cries sarcastically before his smirk dropped. He glared at the Galran, eyes bright blue contrasting the darkness of the night. The general’s gleeful attitude faded away as Leandro inched closer. It was clear that he was now afraid of him; the galra’s eyes darted around like a cornered animal (which Leandro supposed he was).

 

“Listen here buddy, I don’t care if Sendak’s after me. Let him come. I’ll take him down as well.”

 

Before the general could respond, Leandro set his pistol to stun before he shot him between the eyes. Satisfied, Leandro lifted the gun up to his lips and blew the steam coming from his guns. Carefully stepping over the bodies, he exited the alleyway. He peeked around the corners of the wall, checking for more pursuers; deeming it safe, he stepped out.

 

“There he is!”

 

Leandro cursed as flashlights fell upon his form and the glint of galra sentries appeared in his vision. Without pausing, he took off into the night, pulling his turtleneck higher and throwing his hood over his head, covering his face to keep the galra from identifying him. He glanced behind him to see groups of sentries, drones and soldiers chasing after him. The sentries began to fire as they ran while Leandro dodged, ducking his head as lasers flew above him. The cuban raised one of his pistols and shoots behind him; most of his shots end up missing but the few that land managed to hinder them. Lowering his gun, he looked forward and was instantly greeted with another wave of attackers. Both filled with drones, sentries and galra generals. He stopped in his tracks. Leandro glanced both ways, dread rising in him. No matter which way he took, he would be ambushed.

 

Leandro’s mind desperately raced, trying to find the best option. He ran through the possibilities. The deafening sounds of footsteps echoed louder. There was no choice now. He had to fight. He growled and pulled out his other pistol. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. The cuban kept his head down and shut his eyes. The pounding footsteps drawing closer, matching with the rhythm of his heart as it beat furiously within his chest. He steadied himself, feeling a rush of adrenaline kicking in as they near. His eyes snapped open.

 

Leandro’s eyes glowed.

 

* * *

 

 

Honestly, Akira didn’t know how he got into this situation. One minute, he was stepping out of the cafe he worked in, the next minute, he was pinned against the wall by a bulky man with a terrible case of cigarette breath. The man wasn’t alone, though; two others accompany him, both wielding knives. Judging by how they were holding it, none of them knew how to wield it properly. Amateurs.

 

Akira huffed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You’re gonna pick on someone that’s half your size?” He received a glare by the man who’s pinned him. The thug brought a hand to grab at Akira’s collar.

 

“What did you say to me kid?”

 

Ignoring the stench that came from the man’s breath, Akira smirked and said mockingly, “You guys are too scared to fight the bigger guys, so you pick on someone smaller? Man, you guys are pussies.”

 

The thug growled, his fist rearing back as though to punch him. Akira’s smirk widened; before the fist reached him, faster than his attacker could process, he ducked underneath the incoming arm and snapped out a punch, fist colliding with the goon’s head, effectively knocking him out.

 

The entire exchange had happened in less than a minute. Akira cracked his knuckles calmly, staring the other two dead in the eyes with a smile. They gaped at him in a state of shock, and backed up a few steps..

 

“B-boss?” One of them stuttered.

 

Perhaps out of some desire to seek revenge, their faces morphed into anger as they lashed out, madly swinging their knives. Akira simply side stepped, letting their attacks swing wide, before striking their lower neck. He threw a kick to one of them, hitting them in the chest and grabbed the other and threw him over his shoulder. They crashed into each other and crumbled onto the floor groaning, the pain rendering them immobile.

 

He sighed and patted his jacket, brushing off the dust. The streets in this area were filled with more and more criminals and thugs. Akira wasn’t liking any of it. He made his way over to his bike which was parked along the wall nearby.

 

Just as he was about to grab his helmet, he heard a shuffle. Groaning in annoyance, he faced the ‘boss’ — he was certain he’d already knocked him out, but hey, if he wanted a second round, Akira was willing to indulge.

 

The thug stood up straight, wiping off a trail of blood coming from his nose. He did not look happy. “You fucking bitch. Look at what you’ve done.” He snarled, pointing to his bloody nose, which was most certainly broken, before running to tackle Akira.

 

His body hit the wall, knocking the air out of his body; rendering him stunned for a moment. Akira gasped and hacked as he tried to breath. The thug let out an amused laugh. Akira groaned and stumbled as his feet touched the ground. He huffed and yanked out his dagger from his thigh, holding the sharp end against his attackers neck, who stopped laughing and froze instantly at the sight of the metal.

 

“Right, so I really don’t want to do this, but you’re leaving me no choice.” Akira said blithely, smiling darkly. He pressed the blade against the flesh, drawing a bit of blood. The shock faded away from his attacker’s face as it morphed into anger. Akira’s smirk dropped.

  


Suddenly the atmosphere dimmed. The rims of Akira’s purple eyes began to glow a crimson red colour. He stared dead into his attackers eyes. Fear was eminent in the others eyes as Akira’s glare pierced his soul, like he could read every secret and exploit his every weakness.

 

In a hushed voice, Akira leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

 

“Trust me, if you continue, you’ll regret it.”

 

* * *

 

Akira walked away from the alleyway, leaving the three thugs lying unconscious on the ground. He slid the dagger back into its sheath and grabs his helmet, sliding it onto his head before he threw his legs over the bike.

 

Akira revved his motorcycle and popped the visor over his eyes. He rode off, the familiar rumble of his bike spiked his adrenaline rush. He pushed his leg off the ground and sped off. In the background, faint whirring of drones could be heard. His head snaps up towards the sound, his eyes searching the area for the source.

 

He spotted a purple glow in the distance and instantly recognized the Galran drones. Akira frowned in confusion and switched lanes to turns the next corner into a dark alley. He rode in the small roads behind buildings to avoid being spotted by any drones flying above him. He then hears muffled shouting, heavy footsteps and the clang of sentries as galra troupes followed the sounds of whirring. Cars and pedestrians dove out of the way to avoid being seen as fear flashed across their faces.

 

Akira stops and watches, his brows furrowed in confusion. Sentries run down the street in large groups, their movements stiff and calculated like usual. Suddenly, series of pop-ups appeared on his visor. He sees large red dots on a faint outline of a map. They flash and beeped all over the screen. Their formation formed a circle around the area near the edge of Galexia. There were at least 3 large groups with lots of smaller ones following along, all blinking and flashing on his map heading to the same area.

 

“Why the fuck would they be sending this many troupes to Altea? The area of Galexia’s been destroyed for the past 50 years and there’s nothing but wasteland and criminals.” Akira mumbles under his breath, his mind racing to piece together the information. He tips his bike, making a sharp U-turn turning around and plotting a course for the abandoned wasteland. He sneaks across the road and trails behind another upcoming group of galrans. He weaves between buildings and eyes their blank expressions.

 

They then suddenly stop in their tracks, right on the border of Altea. Multiple sentries lined up across the border along with drones scanning the area. They seem to be blocking all  entrances and exits. Akira narrows his eyes.

 

_Why would they block it off with no explanation? Unless… they were trying to keep something inside._

 

He glances over to the map once more to find another way in. He spots a small crevasse between two buildings near the entrance. It seemed to have led straight into a small hidden area that was blocked off due to safety precautions. Akira slowly drove his bike through the gap, trying to make as little noise as possible. Once he’s passed through, he sped up again. Akira blindly followed the road, careful to avoid anything sharp.

 

He makes his way onto a road he recognized before following his map once more. His eyes scan the area around him. Boarded up stores, flickering street lights, garbage littering the streets, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

 

Then, he heard shots going off.

 

Akira’s head snapped, searching for the source of the sound. He makes a couple turns through buildings and followed the noise. Once he’s on the main roads, his eyes landed on a large group of galrans. They all seemed to be clumped together, all firing at… something. He stopped behind a broken car nearby, trying to get a better view. Then, he sees a flash of bright blue. One by one, sentries hit the ground with a loud ‘clunk’. Akira stares, his eyes wide open in shock.

 

He spotted a hooded figure, holding two glowing guns; his back faced towards him. His movements, smooth and quick as he relentlessly attacked the Galra with terrifyingly accurate shots. It looked… almost like he was dancing. Graceful movements responding to the harsh attacks that came from the sentries and soldiers.

 

The stranger turned around and the hood fell off his face. Akira felt the air rush out of his body. Brilliant blue eyes greeted him, the fringe in his wavy hair falling in front of his face as the dim light made his tanned skin glow. The way his lips was pulled up in a smirk, Akira knew he had lost it. Although he’s never met this person, there was one thing he was certain about.

 

He was beautiful.

 

Suddenly, as if he’d just had been slapped back into reality, he saw the other fall. Sentries gathered around and tackled him relentlessly. Without thinking, Akira revved his engine and raced to the other’s position. His eyes narrowed as he sped up, knocking the sentries and galrans that were in his way.

 

He knew he was going to regret this later, but it doesn’t cross his mind. All he could think about at the moment, was saving this beautiful stranger.

 

* * *

 

 

Leandro lets out a cry and fired rapidly. His eyes shone as he gave the galra a piercing glare before he shot them right between the eyes. Normally, he wouldn’t dare to look at his enemies during a fight, but this time, he stared at them with no hesitation. He saw the fear in their face before they slumped to the ground, unconscious.

 

It continued, shots after shots as he did the process over and over again.

 

Breathe. Aim. Fire.

 

And so on. Leandro tried to dodge every single attack that came his way while taking accurate shots. It was exhausting trying to juggle both his defense and offense. He looked up and saw a galra ready with a shot lined up and barely had time to react, just missing him as it grazed his right shoulder.  His hood flew off his head as he fell to the ground. “Shit.” He uttered before jumping away from the beams, the pistols in his hands suddenly feeling like they weighed a thousand pounds.

 

Leandro groaned, his movements stuttered as he fails to avoid the upcoming attacks. Bullet-like lasers hit him from all over as he fell onto his knees. He channeled his energy into his pistols, which glowed and merged together to form a shield. He used it to block out most of the shots that came his way as the bullets came down heavier, faster and stronger. Shutting his eyes, he knew that there no way out. He was simply outnumbered and completely surrounded no matter which way he looked at the situation. He took a deep breath to slow down his heart beat - which was hammering in his chest- and calmly readied himself to accept whatever was going to happe-

 

A rumble echoed down the road.

 

Leandro’s head snapped up as bright lights blinded his eyes. Blinking, he tries to identify what it was. Sentries were knocked out of the way as it drew closer and closer until it stopped in front of him. A black figure on a red bike loomed over the cuban as everything around them momentarily stopped. The mysterious person reached a hand out.

 

“Hurry, get on!”

 

Leandro didn’t think twice before he grabbed his hand and hopped onto the back of the bike. He felt the engines rumble before they sped off. He throws his arms around his saviours waist and holds on like his life depends on it, his face buried in the others shoulder.

 

The cold wind of the night rushed against his face like an unforgiving bite and yet the back of this mysterious person was warm in contrast. He clings tighter as if he would disappear.

 

Suddenly he heard the familiar hum of a drone and his head rose up from the mysterious person’s shoulders. He spots a singular drone behind them, trailing with 5 others .

 

“We’ve got company!” Leandro shouts over the wind and forms his shield back into his pistols. “Can you hold them off?” The biker replies, his voice muffled from the helmet.

 

Leandro nodded and turned his body to the side to aim at the drones. They seem to notice and began to scatter, movements erratic and quick. Leandro lined up one of his pistols. He felt the blood thumping in this veins as a giddy feeling rose in his chest. Just as he was about to shoot, he felt the bike tip to the side. “Hold on!” He heard the biker shout as they made a sharp turn.

 

The cuban hissed, using a hand to hold onto the bike while the other takes aim. He lets out a couple shots that took out two of the drones, which exploded with a boom. The remains dropped onto the ground with a “Clang”. He felt the bike straighten back up.  

 

Leandro sat back down and looked over the biker’s shoulder. His blood ran cold. It was a dead end, a wall cutting off the road with nowhere to turn. They’d end up getting cornered and killed on the spot at this rate.

 

“It’s a dead end! Where do we go from here?” Leandro shouted and fired another shot, taking out another drone. He felt the other speed up as the momentum jerked his body back. His mind panicked as every cell in his body screamed danger.

 

“Are you crazy!?” The cuban screams.

 

“Shut up and trust me!”

 

Leandro stared at back of the biker, over his shoulder to see where exactly they were. Over the wall, there were nothing piles of junk and broken cars. No buildings, no streets. No lights.

 

“There’s nothing but a junkyard up ahead! Are you sure?” He shouted as whirring got louder. The biker didn’t respond, instead he just glanced over his shoulder. Through the helmet, Leandro could see a faint smirk before the biker turned around again. Leandro let out a discomforting grumble as he faced the drones once more.

 

They sped up, drawing closer as they powered up for a shot. Leandro took aim; his breath hitched. He pulled the trigger, sending a bullet straight towards the floating piece of metal. The beam shot right through a drone as it exploded. The bike then suddenly jerked to the side and up a wooden ramp.

 

Suddenly, they’re mid-air and above the wall. Leandro saw the two remaining drones. Without thinking, the cuban fired two shots in succession which effortlessly shot right through their core, efficiently destroying them.  

 

The bike hits the ground and they’re off again.

 

* * *

 

 

Akira didn’t know what he expected when he had asked the other to hold off the drones. From what he saw during that fight, he knew that he was good with guns, but damn. He didn’t know that he was _that_ good, easily sniping the drones with dead on accuracy. Not to mention the eyes, glowing bright blue in contrast to the darkness of the night sky.

 

They raced through the junkyard as Akira swerved left and right, avoiding sharp pieces of metal sticking out from the piles. It was far from a smooth ride, but Akira wouldn’t have it any other way as the sounds of absolute joy that came from the boy behind him filled his ears.

 

His heart warmed.

 

When they finally ended up in the smoother sides of the junkyard, he felt something slid around his waist; a warm body pressed against his back. Akira felt his cheeks turn red as the blood rushed to his face.

 

“H-Hey, you good there?” he hesitantly calls over his shoulder, trying to mask the stutter in his voice. He could hear the smile as the other spoke. “I’m more than ok.”

 

Trailing his eyes back up ahead, he spotted a small gap between the fence that separated the junkyard from the city. Turning his bike towards it, he drove through the crevasse swiftly. They ended up in what seemed to be a secret tunnel out of the colony; the place was filled rough walls with unpathed roads.The only source of light was the headlights that came from the bike. The area was quiet, almost too quiet. The only sounds that could be heard was the rumble of his motorbike.

 

It went on like this for several minutes, blindly riding in the darkness with no end in sight.

 

Suddenly, the clang of metal echoed down the pathway and a familiar glow of purple greeted them. Before Akira had time to react, one of the hands leaves his waist. He feels weight on his left shoulder and bang went off near his ear. In the corner of his eyes, he sees a gun aimed towards the soldier stood. The galran stopped in their tracks and slumped over. Akira glances over and sees the other boy sliding his gun back into his holster before he slides his arm back around Akira’s waist.

 

Akira smiles.

 

“Nice shot.”

 

* * *

 

  


Eventually, they find their way back into the city. The area was filled with people walking and bickering in the streets. Bright colours from the neon signs hanging from walls lit up the streets. They stopped in a clearing nearby.

 

Leandro hopped off and faced the biker, his eyes still glowing from the adrenaline. “Hey thanks for coming in to save me. I would have been dead if it weren’t for you.” He gave the other a warm smile as he spun the dual pistols around his finger before sliding them back in their holsters. The biker chuckled and took his helmet off.

 

Leandro shuddered a breath in awe of how beautiful the man standing in front of him was. He had purple eyes with red glows coming from the edges. His black hair was pulled back into a ponytail with bangs framing his face. He shrugged. “Hey it’s no biggie. The galra were making strange moves so I had to check it out.” He said as he placed his helmet onto his bike. The corners of his lips curved up into a smile.

 

The Cuban lets out a sigh. “I’m Leandro. Pleased to meet you.” He made an exaggerated movement and offered his hand. Akira let out a laugh and accepted the hand and curls his own around. “Akira.”

 

Their eyes dimmed, returning back to their original state. “So twin pistols huh?” Akira stated, pointing to the two guns strapped to Leandro’s hip. “Oh these? They can take form of whatever I want it to, I just personally prefer this form.They’re good in the face of battle and besides, I’m a good shot.” Leandro responds and gestures to the guns .

 

“Yeah no shit. That shot when we were mid air was insane. It should have been impossible to hit and yet somehow you did it.” Akira says, clearly impressed as he crossed his arms. Leandro ran his hand through his hair and gazed at Akira.

 

“So, since you saved my life, how about I get you a drink and we can finish the conversation somewhere else.” He flashes Akira a smirk and steps a little closer. Akira reaches up and yanked on the collar of Leandro’s jacket, the cubans face hovering just inches over his face. Leandro flushed.

 

He gazed into Akira’s indigo orbs, the dim lights reflecting making it seem like there’s a galaxy within his eyes. Leandro’s mind raced. Then, Akira’s voice dropped as he basically purred in the cubans ear, “Already asking me on a date _Sharpshooter_?”

 

_Holy shit, this is happening._

 

* * *

 

 

They ended up at the nearest bar. It wasn’t the best; a little old, some of the chairs had lost a leg or two and the edges of the tables were chipped, but it was a bar nonetheless. They took a seat at the counter and Leandro signaled the bartender. “Bourbon on the rocks.” He ordered and turned to Akira, who raised his eyebrow in confusion before realizing. “Ah. Just some cold water is fine.” He replied. The bartender nods and walks away.

 

“Only some water? I’m paying. You can get anything you want.” Leandro questioned as the bartender slid their drinks over. Akira picked up his glass and brought it to his lips. (Good god Leandro would do anything to be that glass right now)

 

“Yeah I’m fine. Besides, I’ve gotta drive later. I can’t be intoxicated.” Leandro shrugged. “I guess.” He brings his drink up to his own lips and takes a sip. Enjoying the burn of the alcohol humming in his throat, he let out a sigh. They sat down for the next minute, no words spoken between them; recollecting their thoughts. Then, he heard the other speak up breaking the silence. “So what were you doing in that part of the city?”

 

Leandro faced Akira. He took another sip before responding. “I was retrieving something.” He said vaguely, avoiding eye contact. Akira’s eyes narrowed, suddenly suspicious. Leandro could feel his glare piecing his soul.

 

_Shit._

 

“If you were just retrieving something from that area, then why would the Galra suddenly attack you? I’ve monitored their movements and attack patterns and they’ve never attacked a single person out of nowhere, unless it’s for bribery or they’ve done something to piss the galrans off.” He said in a low voice, almost threatening.

 

_Quiznack… do I tell him or make something up?_

 

Akira jumped off his seat and got closer. He reached down to grab something in his pocket. The cuban saw a glint of metal reflecting off the dim lights of the bar, and swallowed nervously.

 

“Look, I just want an answer, If you’re worried about me being some sort of spy for the galra then you’re wrong.” His hands pull up the blade a little more.

 

After a few tense seconds, Leandro gave in. “Alright alright! I’ll tell you.”

 

Akira sat back down onto his stool and looked at the other expectantly. Leandro grumbled before speaking in a hushed voice.

 

“I was sneaking into the area because I heard that Sendak, one of the generals in Zarkon’s inner circle was holding top secret information. They were making their way through that area, and if you’ve monitored their movements, you know that there aren’t that many groups patrolling there.”

 

Akira’s eyes widened.

 

Sendak, one of the most trusted generals in Zarkon’s main fleet, the man who was leading some of the most deadly troupes and the one that is known for how brutal he is when invading. He’s not one to show mercy and destroys anything that stood in his way with no remorse.

 

He took another sip of his drink before continuing. “I camped near their base till they entered. I disguised myself as one of the sentries and followed behind them. Then, I overheard Sendak make a call with Zarkon.”

 

Leandro’s face dropped into a grim expression. “He had been reporting to Zarkon to inform him that his troupe has taken over another part of our land, and that they’ve been working on this secret weapon to use and threaten the rest.” Akira’s blood went cold as Leandro said the next words.

 

“He plans on launching it if we don’t give in, killing everything and everyone.”

 

The cuban gulped down the rest of his drink and slammed the cup back down onto the counter. “When Sendak left, I went in and stole the blueprints, along with some money.” He says and pulled out the USB hidden in his jacket. Leandro took a glance at Akira, who seemed to be frozen in state. He sighs and slid the USB back into his jacket, tucked away in a pocket near his chest.

 

Noticing that the other was too stunned to say a word, Leandro took it as his sign to leave. “Well, I guess I’m going now. Thanks for saving me.” Leandro pushed himself off the stool and began to walk towards the entrance. He only takes a few steps before a hand grabbed his wrist in a tight grip. “Wait.” He heard a quiet voice call out. Leandro turned around and faced Akira. His head was hung, his bangs covering his eyes.

 

Leandro opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Akira spoke up. “Let me come with you!” Akira blurts out. His grip on Leandro’s wrist tightens, the leather gloves definitely leaving marks on the skin. The bar goes silent. Leandro froze. “W-What did you say?” He stutters out. Akira raised his head and their eyes met.

 

The glow in his eyes were back as he says once again. “I want to go with you.” His gaze lingered on first Leandro, and then his wrist, before he looked away and let go. “If you’re gonna stop Sendak, you’re gonna need help right? So let me help you.” Akira’s eyes were filled with determination.

 

Leandro turned to face him. “You don’t know what you’re signing up for… This isn’t just a small group that we’re dealing with. It’s Sendak. You know, the one that’s most successful at conquering and possibly the most dangerous general in Zarkon’s forces?” Akira nods.

 

“But you can’t fight them alone. Sendak’s troupes probably know who you are, since you kinda stole some top secret information. You’re gonna want some assistance getting around and backup or you’ll risk getting caught.”

 

Leandro bit back a small retort before he realized that Akira was right; going into this  mission alone meant certain death and he didn’t have anyone else to rely on.

 

“Alright, fine. But you’re staying out of fi-” “If you’re worried about me getting hurt, don’t. I can handle myself.” Leandro sighs. Akira nods approvingly. “Contact me if you ever need me.”

 

He happily downed the rest of his water before slamming the glass onto the counter. He pushed himself away from the counter and fixed his jacket. “It’s late. We should head back home.” Akira commented and pointed at his holo-band. The time read ‘01:23 AM’.

 

“R-Right…” Leandro’s voice dropped as they made their way out. Akira pushed open the doors and they’re greeted by a gust of the wind. He pulls his helmet off his bike, mounts it, and revs the engine. He faces Leandro, who began walking off in the opposite direction. The wind blowing the ends of his coat around with a flutter. Akira frowned. “Are you walking home?” He called.

 

Leandro froze in his tracks. He kept his back faced towards Akira as he let out a sheepish laugh. “Um… yes? I gotta get back to… my place! Which is this way.” He says a points to the direction he’s facing. Akira raises an eyebrow. He takes a glance ahead before making a remark.

 

“You mean the junkyard?”

 

He stared ahead with a stoic face. “You don’t have a place to stay do you?” Akira bluntly states. Leandro clenched his teeth. “Well… no. But I’ll find some place to stay. So good night!” He shouted stubbornly. Akira groaned and rode the bike next to Leandro. “Come on, hop on. I’m taking you to my place.” The cuban blushed and looked away embarrassingly.

 

“I don’t need your help. I’ll be fine in some empty building.” Leandro grumbled and walked faster. Akira rolled his eyes. “Stop being so stubborn about it and just get on the damn bike.” He demands and maneuvers his bike to block Leandro’s path. Said boy opened his mouth to respond. His eyes met Akira’s and his jaw snapped shut.

 

There it was, the bright purple eyes dusted with crimson staring deep into his soul. “Just fucking come with me, or so help me. There’s no way I’m leaving you out here in the night alone while the Galra are probably out looking for you.” He said and glared, the glow in his eyes returned as they shone in the dark.

 

Leandro swallows and physically felt the air around them grow colder. He was terrified. The hairs on his neck stood up as goosebumps rose on his skin. Akira growled and Leandro could swear he saw fangs poking out. Raising his hands in defeat, the cuban reluctantly gave in.

 

“Alright… fine, you win.” He utters out.

 

Akira’s eyes returned to normal as a grin split across his face. “Great! Hop on!” All traces of the menacing glare from before seemed to have disappeared. Leandro gaped and presses a hand to his face.

 

“God what have I gotten myself into?” He mumbled with a smile. Akira smirked and held a hand out, offering it to Leandro.

 

He grabbed the hand and hopped onto the back of the bike once more as they rode off into the night.

 

_And their adventure begins._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm Raiya and welcome to my Leakira AU fic! I know I'm late to the train but it's ok! It's here now, and I am determined to finish it. The story is already planned out and is in the works! 
> 
> Come bother me on Tumblr right here: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/torizwaves for sneak peaks and when I'll be posting new chapters! You can also come in and say hi, give supportive criticism or anything like that. (Trust me I won't bite) 
> 
> Also special thanks to my lovely editors WonderflyWonderWorld and taecin! These girls are some of my best friends and honestly I cannot thank them more for putting up with my obsession with this show. But first, I'd like to give my editor a chance to say something to all you beautiful peeps. 
> 
> Edit: Oh my god I was reading my works over to make sure I didn't miss any plot lines, and I just realized that I left in one of my self comments in the final draft... (the INSECURE PLAYER line...) god it must have been so awkward to just see that and then wonder wtf it was xD I APOLOGIZE. IT'S NOW DELETED AND I'LL BE SURE TO CHECK FOR MY COMMENTS AGAIN ON LATER CHAPTERS.  
> cin here! So Raiya wouldn't let me just say "skate fast eat ass, klance is canon king. i'm gay for Raiya and she's gay for me." Sooo, here we are! I don't have much to say other than strap in, cause it's one hell of a ride.
> 
> links to their tumblrs are right here:
> 
> WonderflyWonderWorld: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/wonderfulwondyworld
> 
> taecin: unfortunately, she doesn't use tumblr :(
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it :)


	2. You're Just Like Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sendak is up to no good and our power couple needs to stop him. Also, our boys are a little fucked up emotionally and drama ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy chapter 2 is finally here! Sorry for the long wait to those who have been waiting. My uploading schedule is a little wonky due to all of my school assignments *cries* BUT I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO KEEP UPDATES WITHIN 2-3 WEEKS OF EACH OTHER. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

When they finally arrived at Akira’s house, Leandro eased off the bike as he removed his arms from his waist. His hair was swept back from the wind and his legs were unsteady as he stood up straight- finally feeling the adrenaline crash. He stared at the building in front of him.

 

There it stood, a little shack off to a smaller area of the city, separated from the rest of the city. Leandro looked at the the worn stairs on the porch, which seemed to have gone years without repair. Akira parked his bike near the front and pushed the wooden door open. The stairs creaked and groaned as their footsteps crossed them to enter the house.

 

Leandro followed Akira through the door. He placed his shoes off by the front door, miming Akira, who switched the lights on. Blinking his eyes, adjusting to the glow, he scanned the small area.

 

In the living room, there was a small couch sitting in the corner, and a smaller table, covered with empty cups of instant noodles. Overhead there was a TV bolted against the wall. Aside from the little pieces of paper, tissues, and cans scattered on the floor- the room seemed quite tidy. The kitchen was off to the far right, untouched and dusty. Spiderwebs filled the empty cabinets. To the left of the kitchen, he could see two doors- one which he assumed to be Akira’s bedroom, and the other to be the bathroom. It was a small place, no doubt about it, but it was cosy, and had a nice, comfortable feeling to it.

 

“Welcome, I know it's not much, but make yourself at home.” Akira said as he walked into his room. Leandro lingered in the living room before following him.

 

Inside, there was a desk off to the corner near the window, and a closet on the wall to it’s left. What surprised Leandro was the fact that there was two beds in this room. One was plain and white, looking like it hadn't been touched in months. The other had black sheets and red pillows, an unmade blanket on top. It looked like the complete opposite of the prior. Akira plopped on top of the red bed, exhausted, and sank into the comfort of his mattress.

 

Leandro frowned. Confused at the empty bed, his eyes trailed across the room again, trying to figure out who might have been here. His eyes landed on a picture frame resting on the desk. In the frame, he photo with a younger version of Akira who looked no older than 12. Akira had a wide grin split across his face with a missing tooth, holding up two 'peace' signs. He had hair pulled into a ponytail as usual, with his bangs framing his chubby face.

 

Next to him were two older men.

 

One of them was an asian man that sported black hair with fringe falling down on his face. His haircut was the type that would've looked ridiculous on anyone else. He had broad shoulders, almost like a bodybuilder, ripped with muscles. Despite his large appearance, on his face had a warm smile, almost as if he wouldn’t dare hurt a fly.

 

The other sported glasses had light brown hair on tanned skin. He was skinnier, leaner, and less bulky. He had his arms wrapped around the mysterious man and Akira in the middle of laughter.

 

They’re all smiling like a happy family.

 

Leandro’s heart wrenched as his mind flickered over to the thought of his family.

 

“Did you use to live with them?” Leandro said in an undertone and pointed to the picture. Akira shifted in his bed and lifted his head. “What?” He mumbled and looks to where Leandro was pointing.

 

Akira’s body froze.

 

His face drops into a grim expression as he stutters out: “Oh… them. That’s…” His voice strains as he struggles to get it out. He fidgeted in his spot as Akira seemed to panic, his breaths quicker and more frantic. He began to curl in on himself, like a small child without a parent.  _ Like Leandro… _

 

“Hey, it’s ok. You don’t have to tell me.” Leandro says and reached forward to place a hand on Akira’s shoulder, who flinched at the contact. Akira shakes his head and shuts his eyes tight. He shook his head as he held back the tears.“No it’s fine.” he says in shaky voice as he tried to calm himself.

 

He took a moment to settle down and taking deep breaths to clear his mind before continuing.

 

“That’s… Takashi and Dante. They… they were all the family I had left.”

 

Leandro frowned. “Had?”

 

Akira nodded and lowered his head. “They went on a mission about 10 months ago and never came back…” His voice shook as he tried not to cry. “They’ve been missing for so long a-and everyone says they’re dead but I know they’re not! I have the clues! They’re somewhere out there! They can’t leave me… They can’t…”

 

Leandro cut him off and surged forward, wrapping the other in a hug without second thought. The Akira’s eyes widen in shock, the tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. He felt the tears stream down his cheeks, dripping down to his chin and landing on Leandro’s shoulder.

 

Leandro brought a hand up to Akira’s head and patted him, soothing his hair. “It’s ok.” He whispers and pulls his head down to rest on his shoulder, his tears wetting Leandro’s jacket. Sobs racked Akira’s body as he cried into Leandro’s shoulder, letting everything out.

 

Leandro runs his hands up and down his back, trying to calm the other down. Akira cries were muffled in Leandro’s jacket as he poured his heart out, grasping onto Leandro as if he would leave him, rendering him alone once again. _ God he was so much like him… So alone without anyone to rely on and so afraid of losing people...  _ They stay like this for awhile as Akira lets everything he had been holding in.

 

Minutes later, he stops crying, his sobs coming down as his tears dried. He makes no movement to move away, staying in their position with Leandro’s arms wrapped around Akira, who’s head’s still resting on Leandro’s shoulder. The cuban continues to rub circles into Akira’s back as he sniffles. Whispering nothing but reassuring words into his ear, his breathing finally evened.

 

After a couple more minutes of silence, Leandro spoke up.

 

“You said that no one’s found their bodies yet right?”

 

Akira lifted his head up, stared at Leandro in confusion and sniffled. “Y-Yeah… they were only presumed dead cause no one could find them…” Leandro’s leans back and stared right into Akira’s eyes. “If no one’s found their bodies, that means they’re still out there somewhere, and we’re gonna find them.” He says, trying to boost Akira's spirits and give him some hope. he was determined to help find Dante and Takashi for him.

 

_ It’s the least I could do for you… _

 

Akira gave a small smile and rubs his eyes. Feeling a bit better, he tries to respond with enthusiasm.

 

“Yeah… we will.” He mutters, emotionally drain from all the crying. His eyes began to close, exhaustion taking over his body. He slumps over in his bed as he mutters out a “Thank you.” before passing out.

 

Leandro got up and smiled down at the sleeping figure. He pulled the sheets up to cover Akira’s shoulders before leaving to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and changing back into his clothes. He entered the room as quiet as possible, careful not to wake up Akira as he made his way to the other bed. He laid there, wide awake as his thoughts clouded his mind.

 

He rolled over and faced Akira, who was sound asleep in his bed. He looked so vulnerable, so… _ alone… just like Leandro. _

 

_ “Mama! Mama! Where are you?! Mama?!” A little boy cried out as flames and rubble surrounded him. _

 

_ Another explosion went off. _

 

_ “Mama! Please!” he shouted again as tears streamed down his face. He heard shouting in the distance. _

 

_ “Mijo! Mijo where are you?!” _

 

_ The little boy’s head snaps up towards the sound of his mother. “Mama!” He shouts and runs over to where she stood. She wrapped her arms around the little child and patted his head. _

 

_ “Shhh. It’s ok Mijo. I’m here now. Mama’s got you.” _

 

_ The little boy sobbed as he clung to the fabric of his mother’s dress. _

 

_ Another explosion went off in the distance as they broke into a run. Suddenly, hands reached out and grabbed the little boy. “Mama!” He cried. His mother turned around to see her son in the hands of Galran soldiers. _

 

_ “Mijo! ¡Bastardo! Let my son go!” _

 

_ The Galrans took a glance at her before shrugging and pulled the child away. The little boy cried and tried to pull away from their grasp. He struggled as he the soldiers dragged him away. _

 

_ Then, the hands released as a loud thump came from beside him. The Galrans laid there, unconscious and unmoving. He looked up to see his mother holding a large metal pole, heavily breathing. _

 

_ “Run Mijo! Run!” She exclaimed as more came their way. The little boy scrambled to his feet and broke into a run. _

 

_ Shots went off and the little boy’s eyes widened in horror. He turned around to where he mother was standing, except… she wasn’t standing anymore. She laid there, on the ground in a pool of blood. Galran soldiers closed in and began scouting the area. _

 

_ He caught a glimpse of his mother’s face as she gave a sad smile. There, she spoke her last words. _

 

_ “I’m sorry Mijo… I love you.” _

 

Leandro felt the tears gather up in his eyes as he blinked them away. He refused to cry now, not after all those years. He rolled over in the bed and took in a deep breath. Leandro snuck another glance at Akira’s sleeping form before he felt the drowsiness catch up. His eyes began to close as one thought filled his head.

 

_ At least you deserve to be happy. _

 

* * *

 

 

Akira woke up to the smell of fresh food and sunlight in shining in his eyes.

 

_ Huh… that’s strange. I don’t remember cooking anything… _

 

He groaned and threw an arm over his eyes, trying to block out the blinding light of the sun. Sighing, he  stumbled out of bed as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. He yawned and grumbled as he walked over to the washroom to do his daily routine. As he entered the bathroom, he didn’t notice Leandro opening his mouth to greet him good morning before he slammed the door behind him. He grumbled, feeling annoyed as he turned on the sink. He took a glance at himself in the mirror.

 

He looked like shit.

 

Eyebags, messy hair and dried tear tracks. He had also felt like shit, feeling absolutely exhausted with no energy whatsoever to do anything at all. Akira splashed his face with water before grabbing his toothbrush. Akira lazily brushed his teeth and spat out the foam. Just as he finished brushing his teeth, he hears a voice echo from the kitchen.

 

“ ‘Kira? You awake? Breakfast is ready!”

 

Akira jumped and dropped the toothbrush in his hand as it fell into the sink. His mind began to recall moments from the night before as memories flashed before his eyes. He dashed out of the bathroom to see Leandro standing there, placing plates onto the kitchen table.

 

“Oh good to see that you’re up and running!” He said as he took a seat. Akira eyed him hesitantly before sitting down next to Leandro. He stared at the food on the table. Omelettes with some bacon and milk off to the side.

 

“There wasn’t much left in the fridge that wasn’t rotten. Eggs and Bacon were the only thing that I could find in there. Also, you really need to do your dishes.”

 

He glanced at Leandro with a questioning look on his face as he spoke.

 

“You didn’t have to cook me food you know? I probably still have some instant noodles somewhere in my cupboards.” Leandro shook his head and sighed. “You really shouldn’t eat so much of that junk. It’s not good for you.” Akira paid no attention as he picked up the fork and poked at the food before shrugging and taking a small piece of the omelette. He brought it up to his mouth, taking a bite. Flavour filled his tongue as his eyes widen in surprise.

 

“This is really good! What the fuck?!” He exclaimed and began shoving more food down his throat. Leandro let out an amused giggle. “Calm down, you’re gonna choke.”

 

Akira glared at Leandro with a playful grin and raised a middle finger at him before continuing to consume as much as possible in one setting. While Akira shoveled down the food, Leandro ate in peace, more worried that Akira would choke. As they finished their food, Leandro stood up collect their plates. Akira sat there, his stomach filled contently as he let out a pleased hum.

 

It was strange… they had only met yesterday and yet, here they are. It almost felt like they’ve known each other for years and not just a couple hours.

 

“Man it’s been so long since I’ve had good food. The last time I had food this good was when Dant-” Akira stopped himself as his expression dropped. “Nevermind…” Leandro gave a look of concern but decides not to push it. He turns on the sink and begins to wash plates.

 

“You know, we’re gonna find them. I’m not gonna give up you, or them.” He said as he scrubbed the dishes, a smirk graced Leandro’s face as he looked up to flash the other a reassuring look. Akira gave Leandro a small smile and nods.

 

“I know.”

 

* * *

 

About two weeks have passed since the incident. Akira had forced Leandro to stay at his place as he says ‘there’s no way I’m letting you live in the dumps’ and in return, Leandro would cook and clean the place. (Even though Akira says he doesn’t have too but Leandro’s too stubborn)

 

Currently, they’re out on the way to the stores to get more food for the fridge since Akira has absolutely nothing other than a couple of eggs and spoilt milk.

 

As they finished up and made their way to the check out, a cry came from somewhere outside the store. Leandro dropped the bags in his hand and rushed outside in an instant despite Akira’s calling out to him in confusion. His head whipped around, searching for the source. Another scream echoes from around the building. He runs to the dark area behind the store where he saw a young woman pinned against the wall by a rather large galra weilding a knife.

 

“P-Please! Let me go! I have a husband and two kids!” She plead as tears streamed down her face. The fear was eminent in her eyes as she begged for her life. Leandro’s face contorted into anger as his walked up to the attacker. “Let her go.” He calmly stated as he glared at the galra, who paid no attention to Leandro.

 

He pulled out one of his pistols and aimed it towards the purple creature. “I said, let her go.” His voice more firm and demanding. His eyes narrowed as the other finally turned around. The galra glared at Leandro and dropped the woman who slumped to the ground. She muttered a ‘thank you’ before stumbling away.

 

The Galra was not pleased. He bared his sharp teeth as he turned to Leandro. His eyes flicker to the gun in Leandro’s hands as he grunted.

 

“What do you want human? You think you scare me?” He growls as he steps up towards Leandro, raising to his full height which was well over 7 feet. Leandro steeled his mind as raises his gun to aim at his head, his pistols glowing.

 

No words were spoken as the Galra dashed forward to stab Leandro, who sidestepped out of the way. He brought his other hand down onto the Galran’s neck with ease as the other slammed into the ground. Leandro feels the adrenaline kicking in as his eyes began to glow their cerulean blue.

 

Suddenly, the galra made a noise as he pushed himself up. His yellow pupils meet Leandro’s as his face turned into one of shock. “Hold on… Those eyes… you’re that human that stole the blueprints from Sendak and wiped out half of my quadrant…” He mumbled, a hint of hesitation laced within his voice. The aura changed to a dangerous setting as Leandro gave a deadly smirk.

 

“Damn right I am…”

 

The galra growled and backed away from Leandro, who took another step closer. 

 

“Come on… you wanted to fight me, so come. Fight. Me.” He emphasized the last words with a hard punch to the galra which sent him flying. Leandro raised his gun once more and placed his finger on the trigger.

 

The galran looked up at Leandro. “So, you’re gonna kill me?” He mumbles, the yellow pupils staring right into Leandro’s eyes. The cuban glared and pressed his gun towards the other’s forehead with no words. He switched his pistol off stun as the galra’s face widened into a mad grin.

 

“Well then… you convince yourself that you’re doing this for the greater good… and yet you’re here murdering me in cold blood.”

 

The galran surged up next to Leandro’s ear as he whispered his next words.

 

“You’re no different from us.”

 

Leandro’s mind blanked as his breath hitched as he pushed away from the galran and pulled the trigger. A loud ‘bang’ went off, deafening in Leandro’s ears as his breaths quickened, taking in large gulps of air to calm his racing heart down. His thoughts began to cloud this mind as the same words echoed in his head again and again.

 

_ You’re no different from us. _

 

“I’m not like them… I’m not like them…” He whispered again and again as he stared at the now lifeless body on the ground. Deep down, he knew that it was a lie. The galra was right. Ruthlessly murdering them was no different from the galra killing humans. He stared at his hands in disgust as he thought about the amount of lives he had taken.

 

The looks in their eyes as he shot them down and the way their bodies fall onto the floor like a lifeless doll. The way the blood stained his hands as he walks away from the mess. He remembered the first time he had to kill. He remembered it like it was yesterday. The look of fear in their faces as he pulled the trigger still haunt him to this day.

 

“Leo! God damn it where did he run off to?”

 

A familiar voice called out and snapped Leandro out of his thoughts. Akira entered his field of vision, carrying the bags of food in his arms as he nears. He turns his face away as Akira jogs closer. He pants as he straightens the bag of groceries in his hands.

 

“Don’t just run off like that without telling…” his voice trailed off as he took in his surroundings. The dead galran on the ground surrounded by the blood pooling around. Leandro began to walk away with a grim expression. He pulls his hood above his head as he turns away from Akira.

 

_ He shouldn’t have seen this… I shouldn’t have agreed to let him work with me. _

 

He grit his teeth and began to walk faster, away…  _ away. Go back to being alone. _

 

Suddenly, he felt hands grabbing at his shoulder, forcing him to turn around. He’s met with Akira’s face, angry and confused.

_ I’m sorry… _

 

“What’s your problem? You disappear somewhere, I find you behind this fucking store and there’s a dead galra here? Now you’re running aw-” He sees the expression on Leandro’s face and stops himself immediately. “Leo? You ok?” His voice softens. The cuban gave a sad smile as he turned to face him.

 

“ ‘Kira… do you think I’m a monster?” He mumbles quietly, his voice no louder than a whisper. Akira frowed. “What? Of course not. Why would I ever think that?” He places a hand on Leandro’s shoulder and turns his body to face him.

 

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

 

Akira pushed the fabric of Leandro’s hood back to get a better view of his face which held the look of emptiness. His eyes refused to look up as tears pricked the corner of his eyes. He opened his mouth, trying to make a sound, but none came out. He lowered his head in shame.

 

Akira read the expression and instantly responded. “You’re not a monster Leo… You had to do it or they’ll hurt other people.” He says hesitantly.

 

“But killing them makes me no different from them...” Leandro said, his voice hushed and clearly in distress. Akira drops the groceries in his hands and surged forward to bring Leandro in his arms, who struggled to get away. He pounded on Akira’s shoulders, trying to push away but Akira wouldn’t budge. Enduring the pain of the punches, he managed to say through his teeth:

 

“You had no choice! You had to do it to protect the rest of us… it’s not your fault.”

 

Leandro stops moving and gives in, sinking into Akira’s arms. They stay like this for a few moments before Leandro spoke up again.

 

“I… I just wished that it didn’t have to be like this. Why can’t the Galra just stop this and live in peace with the rest of us? Why can’t they just give up their stupid hunger for power and stop this? It’s better for everyone…” He mumbles into Akira’s shoulder, who rubbed circles into his back.

 

“I know… maybe one day, we can make it happen. Together.” Akira says as Leandro sniffled and nodded.

 

“Yeah… ok.”

 

_ Maybe he wasn’t so alone after all… _

 

* * *

 

 

Akira yawned as he stared at the TV in boredom. He had finished his daily routine as a spy keeping a lookout on galra movements. He worked a group called ‘The Blade of Marmora’; a secret organization composed of Galran soldiers who didn’t quite agree with Zarkon. Their main purpose at the moment was to infiltrate the many bases around Galexia without anyone ever noticing.

 

They had just completed a mission, collecting new information on Sendak’s group after receiving the news that he was in Arus. They  had finished sooner than Akira had suspected and so now, he sat in his home, awaiting a new mission while Leandro worked at the nearest bar.

 

He reached to grab the remote on the table ahead of him and switched through the channels.

 

“ ‘Kira! We have to go now!”

 

Akira jumped in his seat and dropped the remote as the door slammed open and Leandro’s voice called out. He placed a hand on his racing heart as he groaned.

 

“Jesus Leo don’t scare me like that.”

 

Leandro stopped in front of Akira and crossed his arms.

 

“I found where Sendak is hiding. We need to move now! I overheard some galran commander when I was working and they said that the weapon is almost completed. They’re launching sometime this week and we need to stop it before it happens. Oh god… what if I mess up? I can’t mess up!” He throws his hands up into the air and starts pacing around anxiously. The look of fear was eminent in his eyes as he whispered doubts to himself.

 

Akira sighs and stood up. Over the couple weeks where Leandro had lived with him, he learned many things about the cuban. One was that he was quite loud and seemed overly-confident about himself on the outside. Yet on the inside, he was soft spoken and insecure, worried about his every action and movement, scared to make a mistake. Every once in a while, he would have these little breakdowns when situations get tough. Akira had caught him a couple times, curled up into a ball on the bed and in those moments, Akira would huddle up next to him and just hold him until he’s calm.

 

He placed a hand on Leandro’s shoulder as he spoke “It’s ok. You won’t mess up because this time, you’re not alone.” His lips pull up into a warm smile as he rubs the other’s shoulder.

 

Leandro’s gaze met Akiras and he instantly relaxed, his shoulders sagged and the frown on his face disappears. “Right… I have you with me this time.” He mumbles as he straightens up. Akira pulled away and slumps back on to the couch. “So, what’s the game plan?”

 

Leandro scoffed. “Pff, game plan. Who says that anymore?” He jokes as he rubs his eyes and reached into his jacket to pull out the USB hiding in his pocket. “I’ve gathered information weapon and found out how it operates.” He yanked out another small rectangular device from his pocket and presses a few buttons.

 

The small box shifted and opened up, little projection lenses rose as lights flickered and a screen popped up. Leandro placed the box onto the table in front of Akira and inserts the USB into a little slot in the back of the device.

 

The screen faded into a blueprint of some large weapon in the shape of a cannon. Akira’s heart dropped as he recognized the design.

 

An ion cannon, known for its ability to destroy battleships and tear buildings apart- except this one looked bigger, stronger and far more destructive.

 

Leandro sat next to Akira as he zoomed into the visual of the large cannon. He pointed to the base of weapon as he began explaining. “This is where they enter. There’ll probably be sentries and galra guarding it, so sneaking in would be quite difficult. We will go through this small gap here and through the vents.” He says and zooms into a small panel off to the side.

 

“We will cut through this and sneak in through the vents.” He presses onto the screen and the blueprint transitioned over to a map of the inside.

 

Leandro trails his finger across the pathways. “We will make our way through here to the communication room and disable it. Then, we’ll go to the main control room where Sendak will be. You’ll distract everyone and pull them out of the room and keep them occupied while I shut down the cannon and set it to self destruct.” He then pans out and a blue dotted line showed up.

 

“We’ll be taking this route to get out unnoticed, since it’s the quickest way. Then boom, mission accomplished. Of course, assuming I don’t mess up and-”

 

“We. We won’t mess up cause we’re in this together.”

 

Akira cuts off Leandro as the cuban flashes a grateful look at the words before he continued to explain the function of the cannon. As Akira ran through the plan again in his head, he noticed some places that could use a bit of backup, but other then that, it was a pretty solid plan.

 

“We’re gonna need to place bombs in their boiler room to destroy the weapon. Even if we destroy the controls, I can’t take any chances.”  His mind trailed to the Blade of Marmora. Surely Thace and Kolivan wouldn’t mind lending a hand after everything he had done for the group.

 

“I know some people that can help us sneak into the building and do that.” He hesitated.

 

Leandro raised an eyebrow.

 

“Who?”

 

“The Blade of Marmora. They’re the group of rebel galrans I work for. I know you might be skeptical, trusting galra to take down galra, but they’re fighting for the same cause as we are I swear!”

 

Leandro raised a hand and smiled.

 

“Then tell them to join. If you can trust them, than so can I. We can use a couple extra hands.” Akira sighed a breath of relief and pulled up his communicator. After sending a quick request with a couple buttons, he slid the device back into his pocket. Leandro reaches over to shut off the projector as it folds back into its original state.

 

Although no words were spoken between them, it was clear what was on both of their minds.

 

_ There is no way that they will let Sendak’s weapon fire if it costs their lives. _

 

* * *

 

They left before the sun rises, around 3 AM when the streets were empty and the residents sleep. Akira parked his bike in a hidden alleyway. Leandro hops off firsts and Akira slid off beside him. He pulls out his communicator and sends a signal to the Blades, letting them know that he had arrived at their assigned positions. 

 

Once they responded with an ‘ok’ , he lifted the seat of his bike to access the storage.

 

He pulled out his knife as strapped it onto his thigh before reaching in deeper to pull out some smoke bombs hidden away at the bottom. He tucked some into his leather pouch and shoves the rest into Leandro hands. He was anxiously biting his lips and spinning one of his pistols around his fingers, a sign that he was stressed. He drops the gun as he fumbles to catch the smoke bombs.

As Leandro places the bombs away, Akira couldn’t help but to notice the way his hands shook as the distressed look on his face. Once the bombs were carefully placed in their holders, he bent down to pick up the pistol he had dropped.

 

Akira sighed and placed both hands onto his shoulders stopping him, forcing him to look into his eyes.

 

“Look at me Leo, we’re gonna be fine. If we mess up, the Blade will cover for us. If you mess up - which I know you won’t, I’ll be there to back you up. Remember, you’re not alone this time.”

 

Leandro stops shaking as much as he opened his mouth to speak. “I know… but what if something does go wrong? What if I fail to shut it down, and he launches the attack on Arus? What if, the mission goes wrong and the blade members get hurt? Worse, what if you get hurt?” His voice was near the point of shouting at this point as his eyes widen, as if he just realized something.

 

“It’ll be my fault… if anyone gets hurt… if you get hurt, it’ll be my fault.” Leandro brought a hand up as he tried to cover his face. Akira pried his hands away and held them in his own. “Hey, it’s not your fault. If something happens, it’s not your fault. I wanted to do this.” He said in a soft, reassuring tone. In the corner of his eye, he can visibly see Leandro calm down. His breathing evened and he stopped shaking.

 

“God… I’m so pathetic right now. We’re about to go on a life changing mission and I’m here having an emotional breakdown because I’m not good enough.” He scoffed as he turned his head away from Akira, who opened his mouth to respond. As he was about to defend him, his communicator went off letting him know that they were ready to begin.

 

“That must be the Blades. We should go now.” Leandro mumbles.

They pulled away from each other as Leandro steeled his mind, pushing all his negative thoughts away. His whole demeanour shifted as he walked ahead with careful steps. Every movement he made was calculated and precise. As he was about to turn the corner, he felt a gloved hand intertwine with his. He looked down and saw Akira’s hand laced with his. Akira gave a little squeeze.

 

“It’s gonna be ok.” He whispered as he let go and broke into a run. Leandro stood there, a slow smile made its way on his face as he trudged behind. Maybe he was right, it could go just fine.

 

_ Just maybe. _

 

As they neared the mass weapon of destruction, they began to notice more and more galran sentries. Somewhere in the distance, Leandro sees a flash of purple from the Blade of Marmora squad, swiftly making their way to the large structure. They stopped behind a building near a large group of sentries guarding the entrance. Leandro pulled his hood over his head as Akira brought his mask over his nose.

 

“Ready?” He whispered over his shoulder. Akira nodded as they waited for the sentries to pass before making a mad dash to the side of the ion cannon. They slid around the base of the weapon reaching the back of the structure. Leandro pulled up the map on his holoband. He points to an area on the metal wall of the structure.

 

“Here. There’s a vent here.” Akira yanks out his blade and sinks it into the area Leandro marked. The cuban peaked around the corners, keeping an eye out on the robots as Akira began cutting through the metal of the vents. Footsteps of sentries echoed louder as they neared. He could feel the blood thumping through his veins as he tried to cut faster.

 

“C’mon ‘Kira... “ Leandro whispered, urging him.

 

The metal plate popped off as Akira lowered it to the ground as quietly as possible to attract as little attention. The two hopped into the vent and pulled the metal slate back just as sentries turned the corner. They could hear the sentries pass by as they released a sigh of relief.

 

“That… was way to close.” Leandro whispers.

 

“Agreed.”

 

Crawling through the vents with a soft ‘thunk’ every time they move, they reached the inside of the weapon. Leandro rolled out of the vents into a hallway illuminated by purple lights and yanks out his pistols, pulling them up into a ready position. He could hear the heavy footsteps of the galran sentries marching down the halls as he braced himself. Just as he was about to dash in, Akira reaches over and holds him down.

 

Instead, Akira yanks out his knife, slashing the metal robot right through their cores. Another raised a blaster but before they could shoot, Akira cut right through their exterior. Leandro stared in shock as the other efficiently took them out with quick and strong movements. No more than ten seconds later, the group of sentries were destroyed. As their bodies fall, Leandro slid forward to catch their bodies and slowly lower them down.

 

“Your guns would have been too loud even with the silencer. It’ll give away our position.” Akira states as he stood up straight, strapping his knife back onto his thigh.

 

“Right…” Leandro replied, his voice low.

 

Suddenly, voices echoed from down the hall followed by footsteps and deep voices.

 

“Did you hear something from here?”

 

“No? But you should go check it out anyway.”

 

Leandro’s blood went cold as he scrambled onto his feet and dragged Akira’s wrists. He pulled them into a gap off into the side of the wall and held a hand on Akira’s mouth on instinct. The voices echoed louder as footsteps were now audible. Leandro held his breath as two galran generals passed them, pressing Akira’s body against his.

 

As soon as they were out of sight, Leandro removed his hand from Akira’s mouth and let out a sigh of relief. “Sorry about that.” He turns to Akira, who’s cheeks were tinted pink as he stutters out a “Nope, yeah.. It’s fine.”

They spared each other a glance before sneaking away and proceeding with the plan. The two raced down the hall, pushing as fast as they could to reach their destination. After a couple turns down the long hallways and avoiding Galra soldiers between taking down sentries, they finally arrived outside the communication room.

 

Akira pressed a couple buttons on his communicator, sending his location to the rest of the Blades. He quickly hacks through the door. He strolls in as Leandro checks to see if he was ok before running off to the main control room. “I’m counting on you ‘Kira” he calls behind him as he makes his way down the hall. Akira spared him one last glance before he took a deep breath as he opened up the communication panel.

 

Hundreds of messages flooded the screen as Akira’s eyes scanned over every little part of the it. He pressed on one of the buttons that looked like the one with no results. He pressed on another one. Nothing again. His frustration grows as he tries, button after button with no prevail. Each one ends with the same result.

 

Nothing.

 

Growling in frustration, he yanks out his knife and sinks it into the communication panel, cutting the wires and processor of the machine. The screen flickers and shuts down as the lights from the keyboards dimmed. Sparks began to fly from where the wires and processors were hidden underneath the metal exterior. The lights completely faded and little sparks flew as Akira let out a little shout in triumph.

 

He yanks out his knife from between the metal and walks over the door, still careful not to make a sound. He peeked outside, checking both sides for sentries and soldiers before stepping out. Just as he was about to make his way down the hall, he heard a loud crash. Akira’s head snapped towards the sound as he stared down the hall in confusion. The alarms go off in a loud and blary sound as he raises a hand to cover his ear. He could see faint glows of sentries stomping down the hall, running to the source of the crash.

 

He jumps back into the communication room and hid behind the wall, waiting for the group to pass by.

 

His mind raced as his thoughts trailed over to Leandro.

 

_ Oh god… did something happen to him? _

 

As soon as the group of sentries passed, he pushed off the wall and ran down the hall to where the main control room was.

 

Where Sendak was.

 

_ Where Leandro was… _

 

* * *

 

 

When Thace got a request from Akira, he knew something big was happening. He wasn’t sure what, but an unsettling feeling in his gut told him otherwise. Akira almost never asks the other members of Marmora for help and yet this one time, he contacted him.

 

There was definitely something wrong.

 

Next to the little letter for help, there was a file attached. Thace hesitated as he opened the document. Looking it over, it didn’t seem like much, it was a map with multiple routes leading to different areas. He looked closer and realize it wasn’t just a map. It was a battle plan. Everything inside was detailed and accurate. every outcome was calculated or taken into consideration as the little writing off to the side described what exactly to do. He got another notification from Akira. He frowned as he opened the document.

 

He could never prepare himself for what he saw next and what it contained. It revealed the blueprint of some sort of mass weapon of destruction. It looked like a massive Ion Cannon, with every note and change written off to the side. Thace’s mind raced as he the pieces began to fit together what exactly Sendak had in stock.

 

_ It was unbelievable… _

 

_ How the hell did he get his hands on this? _

 

Of course, he had his doubts, but he couldn’t say no to this plan. If it was successful, than it could save millions and Thace wasn’t one to back out on chances. He instantly ran down the base to Kolivan who agreed right away to the plan and prepped a squad.

 

Currently, he waited on top of a building near the massive Ion cannon with Antok and Kolivan. Both sat on the edge of the building, their blades pulled out as they awaited their queue. Thace faced the weapon as the cold wind of the night stung his cheeks. A little beep went off in his as he fished the communicator from his pockets. A quick note from Akira letting them know that he was in position.

 

Thace made his way over to Kolivan.

 

“Akira is in base 1.”

 

Kolivan nodded and stood up. “Let us run over the plan once more. We will sneak in through the back, and place the bombs in their positions. Then, we await Akira’s message and group up. Once both Akira and Leandro give us the OK, assuming that they have managed to take out Sendak, we leave the area and set off the bombs, destroying the weapon. All clear?”

 

“All Clear.”

 

* * *

 

Leandro left Akira in the communication room, he immediately ran towards the main control room where he knew Sendak would be waiting. He was anxious as the different outcomes of his fight ran through his head. He had calculated that his rate of success was around 30%, which wasn't as high as he would have liked but hey, what can he do about it? A couple turns and dead robots later, he ended up in front of a large door that should be the entrance to the control center. He eyed the hallway to check for any galra.

 

There was no sign of galra here.

 

He took a deep breath to calm his racing mind and pulled out his twin pistols. His heart was pounding in his chest as the adrenaline kicked in as he bursted through the doors.

 

Leandro didn’t hesitate one bit and started firing in all directions. The galrans all turned to the sound and attempted to fight back but not before Leandro shot a bullet through their chests. They slumped to the floor in a bloody mess. The remaining glared at him and stood in a defensive stance, hands on their weapons and ready to pounce at any moment.

 

Leandro faced Sendak, who stood by the main control panel with a scowl on his face. “You…” He growled with recognition and hatred laced in his voice. Leandro smirked.

 

“Oh, so you know me huh?” He remarks, his eyes still trained on Sendak; eyeing his movements for sudden attacks. The galran leader steps away from the panel and slowly made his way to Leandro.

 

“Of course I remember you. I made one small mistake that day and you exploited it, wiping out a chunk of my troops. I must congratulate you for succeeding, but you will come to an end one day Blue.” Sendak raised a hand and the galrans in the room instantly jumped into action. Leandro gasped as one dashed in his face and swung up with a knife in their hands.

 

He barely had time to react as he arched back to avoid the attack, the blade just missing him by a millimeter. Leandro bounced back and pressed his right gun into the galra’s stomach, pulling the trigger as they slumped over his shoulder. Leandro pushed the body off him as he stood up to face the other dozen standing in the room, ready to attack on command.

 

Without a word, they all pounced on him at the same time. Leandro sidestepped to the left as two flew behind him. Raising his dual pistols, he shot them both and turned to the rest. He takes a glance over to the pedestal where the control panel was. Sendak was no longer standing there. Leandro felt his blood run cold as he whipped around behind him but it was too late. Sendak reached forward and slammed him into the ground.

 

Leandro felt the air knock out of his body, his guns slipped from his hands as they clattered on the floor. Sendak smirked and kicked them away as his grip on Leandro tightens. Struggling to breath, he attempted to push the large galra off but he was too strong. Sendak leaned in with a mad grin stuck onto his face.

 

“Here he is, the infamous Blue Paladin. Look at you, pathetic.” He snarls into Leandro’s face as he turns away. His mind was racing, searching for ways to escape as he noticed a soft part in Sendak’s armor near his stomach.

 

“Fuck… you…” He rasped as he kicked Sendak in that exact spot. The other soldiers standing in the room lashed out and tackled him. As soon as he got up, a fist flew in front of his face. Leandro grabbed the hand and flipped them over his shoulder, slamming them into the ground.

 

He searched the room, looking for where he had dropped his guns. He spotted them next to the large window where the view of Arus could be seen. The cannon was already in position, muzzle already pointing towards the city. Leandro dove towards his guns and tried to pick them up but another galra rushed in an tackled him.

 

He grunted as he wrestles the galra on top of him, pushing and kicking, desperately trying to get away. Leandro turned his head to the side and brough the galran arm up to him mouth and bit down. His canines dug in and began to draw blood as the other screamed in pain. The galra released his grip and reeled back,  clutching his arm.

 

Leandro used this opening to grab one of his pistols and fire a shot a the galra. He panted as he glanced around the room. It was just him and Sendak at this point.

 

“Well, you’ve lasted longer than I thought you would, as expected from the great Blue paladin.”

 

Leandro glared at the him. He bent down and picked up his other pistol and aimed it towards Sendak’s head.

 

“Why do you people do this? Do you really want to destroy Galexia that much?” His voice boomed and echoed within the room, firm and demanding. Sendak only barked out a laugh.

 

“Destroying? Oh no, we’re not destroying. We’re just making it better. Under Zarkon’s rule, we can make Galexia the strongest.” Leandro clenched his teeth, holding himself back from snapping right then and there.

 

“Zarkon will destroy our world, not make it better. Sure Daibazaal is the strongest out of all the sectors in Galexia, but that’s just because you murdered everyone!” He shouted, the blood thumping in this veins as his eyes began to glow from the anger boiling in his gut.

 

Another cackle.

 

“Murdered? No, we’re just getting rid of the weak.”

 

“If you keep this up, no one other than the Galra will be living here anymore…”

 

Sendak stopped. His face contorted into a mad grin. “That’s the point.” He states slyly.

 

Leandro loses it.

 

He let out a yell as he charged towards the large galran, firing rapidly from his pistols. Sendak raised his metal arm him to block all the bullets coming his way before making dashing up throwing a fist. Leandro side steps it and brings his dual pistols to the others neck. He fires as two bullets that punctured Sendaks back, who growled and swung his metal arm back. He landed a punch to Leandro’s stomach, sending him flying across the room. 

 

His back smacked against the wall as he felt something crack in his ribs. He struggled to breath as he staggered to the side. Leandro felt his legs go numb as he leaned against the wall and tried to regain his balance. The thumping of heavy footsteps filled his ears as he raised his head just in time to see Sendak charging towards him. The galra threw his metal arm forward pinning Leandro to the wall.

 

“You know, I’d hate to kill someone with such beautiful blue eyes. Alas, life is unfair this way.” The grin on his face widened as he spoke his next words.

 

“Say hi to the devil for me won’t ya?”

 

Leandro shut his eyes tight. He felt Sendak raise his other arm, ready to hit the final blow. He braced himself for impact, regretting not being able to stop Sendak from destroying Arus. Regret not being able to say sorry to Akira…

 

Suddenly, the doors to the room burst open. Akira rushed in, his dagger unsheathed. His eyes met Leandro’s as a flash of shock and anger flickered onto his face. Leandro mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ as he struggled to pull Sendak’s metal arm away. Without another word, Akira ran forward and punched Sendak in the face, hard. His grip on Leandro loosened and he took this opportunity to pry his hands away from his body.

 

Leandro fell to the ground, his body hitting the cold floor as he groaned in pain. He struggled to keep his eyes open as he watched Akira fight Sendak. The sounds of his dagger clashing against the metal arm rang and echoed throughout the room. He felt his eyes begin to close as he tries to reach his gun, just inches away from where he laid. He propped himself onto his elbows and slowly pulled himself over to his weapon. Once the gun was resting in his hands, he flips over, leaning against the wall. Leandro stares at the fight between Akira and Sendak. He pushed himself up, forcing himself to ignore the agonizing pain in his legs as his mind screams for him to stop.

 

Leandro groaned, his mind clouded and hazy.

 

He heard a cry and froze. Akira had Sendak pinned to the floor, his hands grasping the galra's wrists as he tried hold him down. His entire body was resting on top as the galra thrashed around, trying to push Akira away. Yanking out his knife, Akira sunk his blade into Sendak’s chest. The galra howled in pain as he pulled it back out, the blood oozing everywhere. Akira sat there, his body stiff and head hung low. When he finally stood up, he had a blank expression on his face as he slowly trudged his way to the control panel. He brought his knife up to the wires and with one smooth movement, he cut them all in half. Then, Akira turned to Leandro.

 

“We did it Leo… We-” Leandro felt his heart drop when he caught sight of a faint glow coming from Sendak’s metal arm. That… it can’t be. Akira hadn’t noticed at all, his back turned to the ‘dead’ galra. His eyes widen as he trailed to Sendak’s face, which was pulled into a sickening grin. He could faintly hear rapid beeping and the galra rasp:

 

“See you in hell, fuckers.”

 

Without thinking Leandro jumped ahead and pulled Akira’s body down, using his own covering and shielding the other. An explosion went off, deafening in their ears. Scrap pieces of metal went flying everywhere as Leandro took the impact. Akira’s eyes screwed shut as the sounds of the metal smacking against the wall fills the air. Large pieces of rubble and wires landed somewhere next to him. He felt a shift of movement as Leandro’s body slumped over beside him.

 

His vision completely blacked out for a moment as he laid there in a state of shock, his mind processing everything. It had happened so fast, one minute he thought that he had killed Sendak, the next, Leandro was basically used as a meat shield against a fucking bomb. Akira just couldn’t take in the whole situation at the same time.

 

He hesitantly opened his eyes, his mind still in a frenzy as his vision started to come back, still disorientated and fuzzy.  Suddenly, as it hit him like a truck. He sat up, a little too quickly as a pounding headache emerged from his head and stars danced in the corners of his eyes. Akira leaned over to where Leandro laid beside him. Leandro’s face was peaceful, almost as if he was sleeping, but the blood that covered him said otherwise. Akira brought the cuban into his arms, cradling him as he cried:

 

“Leo! Come on, wake up!”

 

Akira shook Leandro by the shoulders, trying to get a reaction. None. Leandro’s eyes remained closed and his body stiff. Almost like he was dead… Akira’s blood ran cold at the thought. He shakes his head as he raised a shaky hand up to Leandro’s neck, feeling for a pulse. His fingers came in contact with the cold skin as he rested it under his chin. Akira sighed a breath of relief when he felt a small thumping of blood underneath his fingertips. It’s barely noticeable, but still there.

 

He yanked out his communicator.

 

“Keith to group A, we’ve successfully completed the mission. Rally to my area now, Leandro needs medical aid immediately.” Akira says into the little device frantically. He brings tucks it back into his pocket and shifts Leandro so that he was resting on his lap with the cuban’s head resting on his shoulder. They stay like this as Akira stares out the window, broken from the explosion with pieces of glass shattered all over the floor. The sun had just started rising over the large hills of Arus as the yellow and orange hues shone onto their faces.

 

Akira felt Leandro shift beneath him. “Mmm… ‘kira?” He murmured, his voice barely any louder than a whisper. “Did… did we?”

 

“Yeah… we did.” Akira smiled softly down at Leandro. He tucked his head in the cuban’s neck as his emotions came flooding in. “I thought… You dumbass…” He sobbed. The tears flowed like a waterfall from his eyes as he cried into Leandro’s shoulder.

 

“I’m sorry…” The cuban says quietly, his arms coming around Akira’s body, wrapping in a hug. Akira pulled away and rested his forehead on Leandros. “Don’t ever, do that again.” He chokes out.

 

He heard footsteps from behind as he raised his head and looked over his shoulder. The Blade of Marmora group rushed into the room and stopped in front of the two. “The explosives are in place. We need to leave now.” One of them says, their voice muffled from the mask resting over their face.

 

Akira nodded and stood up, slinging Leandro’s arm over his shoulder to keep him up, they make their way out with a smile on both their faces.

 

_ We’ve freed Arus… now let’s save Galexia. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowie you've reached the end of this chapter! So, originally I planned this to be no longer than 6k words for my own sake and my hands slipped and I ended up with 9k... 
> 
> I know this chapter seems a little rushed with all the time skips and stuff but you'll understand why later on in the story as to why I rushed their bonding. (as much as I hate to rush)
> 
> Like always, I wanna say thanks to my wonderful editors! They really did an amazing job putting up with me and all the bullshit I write.
> 
> Like always, you can follow my Tumblr for sneak peaks of the latest chapter and the general time of when I will upload them. Don't be afraid to DM me! I promise I won't bite :)
> 
> My Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/torizwaves
> 
> The next chapter should be up within my uploading schedule (2-3 weeks) :)


	3. Shooting Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Sendak's defeat and new promises are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! I'm not dead! I'm sorry this took so long update but uh school and shit like usual so I'm still struggling... But it's finally here! Sorry to those who are waiting (if you even are waiting)

Whirring and beeping.

That was all that Akira could hear as he stood outside the healing pod Leandro was in. It had been three days since they defeated Sendak, and taken back Arus from the Galran rule. The Arusians that lived nearby thanked them profusely for saving their land.

 

Yet, when Leandro brought up the Blade of Marmora, their warm attitude instantly disappeared, sending snarky comments about Galrans with passive aggressive remarks. They were still skeptical about the Blades, which was totally understandable.

 

Despite Akira explaining that they were on the same side, telling them about how they basically put the entire plan in motion, the Arusians continued to be slightly hostile towards the Blade members. Nonetheless, they completed their mission without too much harm.

 

As soon as they returned to the Blade of Marmora headquarters, Leandro was placed into a healing pod. The stupid goddamn healing pod that had been holding him for three fucking days now. Akira’s injuries weren’t so bad; a couple of bandages wrapped around his cuts did the job. Leandro’s, however were s different story.

 

 When the Blades found them, Leandro was in such a bad condition that he was basically dead. There were cuts littered all over his body. Blood was everywhere, especially where a large wound was found in the stomach and lower back. His legs were bent at an awkward angle, most likely broken. He was so pale and cold with the colour of red blood to contrast his skin. The only thing that confirmed he was alive was his pulse, barely beating.

 

Akira glowered as he thought about it.

 

For the duration that Leandro spent in the pod, Akira hadn’t moved an inch. He sat there, his body planted next to the machine. He refused to move, whether it was for food, or sleep.

 

Akira vaguely remembered Thace coming in and forcing him to eat his daily portions. Making sure he didn’t starve to death wasn’t his only issue though- Akira was also sleep deprived. Not that he didn’t want to sleep, but  every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was Leandro lying on the ground surrounded in his own blood, and Sendak’s wicked grin.

 

Eventually, Akira gave up on resting. Instead, he kept an eye on Leandro, looking for any movement or changes in his condition. It was nerve wracking. Akira hadn’t been able to push away his thoughts since then.

 

They won, it didn’t _feel_ like a victory.

 

_If only I had gotten there sooner…_

 

Sparing glances at the pod every once in a while, Akira felt the exhaustion creeping  up on him. He could feel his eyelids get heavier, and heavier. He knew that the darkness would consume him, filling his head with twisted thoughts. He sat down, his back propped against the cold metal.

 

As soon as his eyes closed shut, Sendak’s grin flashed into his mind for a split second before fading away. He could almost hear his laughter echoing in the room.

 

Suddenly, the doors of the pod swooshed open. Akira’s eyes snapped open and Leandro stumbled out. Akira staggered onto his feet as the chilling air escaped the pod. The boy ran forward and caught the Cuban in his arms as they sank to the ground.

 

“Mmm… ‘Kira?” he heard him mumble as he cracked his eye open. Akira felt the tears well up as he clutched onto Leandro’s bodysuit, holding him as if he would disappear. All previous thoughts that swarmed his head disappeared.

 

“You’re okay… you-”

 

He nuzzled his face into Leandro’s shoulder. He could feel arms slide around his waist and rested on the small of his back. The tears were threatening to spill as a rush of relief flooded his senses. God, it felt so right to be back in his arms.

 

Akira pulled away, forcing Leandro to look at him. “Never do that again, you fucking idiot. What if I lost you?” He sobbed, a steady stream of tears flowing down his cheeks. Leandro gave a tired smile and brought a hand up to wipe the tears away. Akira felt his heart break at the soft look as he spoke his next words. “No promises.” Leandro croaked out, his voice sore and rough. Akira emitted a small noise of annoyance as he stared at Leandro.

 

He brings a hand up to the Cuban’s cheeks. “Just… please. Be more careful.” He whispered, a hint of desperation in his voice.

 

“Aight… I’ll try.”

 

Akira crossed his arms, unsatisfied with the response. Leandro stifled a giggle behind a cough. He arched his back, raising his hands over his head into a stretch, wincing as his sore muscles ached. “Why don’t we go get some food, yeah? I’m starving.” Leandro said, taking a step forward.

 

His knees buckle instantly and Akira raced forward to catch him.

 

Their hearts were racing as Akira’s strong arms hoisted Leandro’s body upright.

 

“Well shit…” He heard Leandro mumble from under his breath. The boy tries again, this time his movements steadier than the last. Just as he passed through the doorway, his legs gave out on him again. He caught the doorway before hitting the ground as he struggled to stand.

 

Watching pitifully, an idea popped into Akira’s mind as a mischievous grin spread onto his face. “Need some help there?” He playfully called. Leandro began protesting.

 

“Not at all! I’m fine and I don’t need help.”

 

Akira ignored his words as he reached under and scooped Leandro up into his arms, carrying him bridal style as the Cuban let out protests and a shriek of surprise.

 

“W-What?! ‘Kira put me down right now!”

 

“Nope! We’re going off like this.”

 

Akira runs down the hall, carrying Leandro in his arms. Sounds of laughter echoed down the halls and Akira thought that maybe, it was going to be ok.

 

* * *

 

Once they had food to satisfy their appetite, they retreated back into a spare room somewhere in the Blade of Marmora base. Akira had insisted that Leandro should take his shower first, despite the Cuban’s protests. Eventually, he reluctantly stepped into the washroom as Akira waited on top of one of the two twin beds.

 

The room was quite small, no bigger than his own back in his shack for sure. It looked almost like a typical dormitory one would live in while studying in university or college. There was a small table between the two beds with a lamp and a digital clock resting on top.

 

There was also a small closet, holding a couple extra bodysuits, shirts and pants, all in black of course. Other than that, there really wasn’t much. It seemed pretty generic.

 

A couple minutes of idly laying on the bed had passed when the door to the shower slid open. It revealed Leandro topless with a towel slung around his shoulders. On his hips were a pair of sweatpants, loosely hanging on his waist as if it would fall with a small tug. Akira’s jaw dropped and did everything in his power not to oogle his abs but _holy fucking shit-_

 

“Your turn.” His soft voice called out, breaking him from his trance. His voice was still a little rough from lack of use. Akira shut his mouth and stood up in a stiff motion. He trudged begrudgingly into the washroom as he frantically tried to push away the image of Leandro out of his mind but his _fucking abs and his toned muscles and those biceps-_ Akira brought a hand up to his face, covering his scarlet cheeks.

 

He grumbled as stripped off his clothing.

 

He turned on the showers as the cold water came splashing down onto his body. He quickly applied soap before rinsing it off his body. Akira stepped out and grabbed a towel. Throwing some clothes on, he rested a towel around his neck to collect the water dripping from his hair.

 

When he had finally exited the washroom, he found Leandro lying in one of the beds, (now with one of the black shirts on) back faced away from the door. Akira stepped out as quietly as possible just in case the boy was asleep. He sat on the edge of his bed and brought the towel wrapped around his neck up to his head, drying his wet hair.

 

He heard shuffling and turned his head to Leandro, who was now sitting up in his bed rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “ ‘Kira?” Leandro mumbled and yawned into his hand. Akira smiled and turned his body to face him.

“Hey.”

 

They now both sat cross-legged on their beds, facing each other.

 

“So… we did it, huh?” Leandro asked.

 

“Yeah… we did. The Arusians are a little traumatized from the explosion, but they’re ok.”

 

“Right…”

 

No other words were spoken for the next minute but a lingering question filled Akira’s head. Sendak was _gone_ … now what? Do they just, go on a take down the rest of the galrans? What about Zarkon? More importantly, _what happens between us now?_ It drove Akira insane. As if Leandro could read his mind, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

 

“You know… I can’t defeat Zarkon on my own, I could use some help.” He gave Akira a knowing look as a grin split onto his face. He exhaled and felt his heart soar. In a soft voice, he responded:

 

“Since you asked so nicely, how could I say no?”

 

His voice got a little choked up as his chest warmed. He got up and walked over to Leandro’s bed. Akira sat down onto the mattress, sinking into the softness.

 

“How are you, though? I mean, you’ve been in the pod for three days Leo…” Akira’s brows furrowed, concern suddenly washing over. Leandro shook his head. “I’m fine. Just... sore in some places, that’s all.” He put on a forced smile. Akira could see the hesitation in his voice, as if he was hiding something.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” He spoke in a soft voice with a hint of desperation. Leandro shook his head with a reassuring smile, “Nah., just a couple sore muscles and bruises.” It was convincing, and Akira almost backed down, when suddenly an image of the explosion flashed in his mind, clearing his thoughts.

 

“Let me see your back.” He demanded with new determination.

 

“W-What?” Leandro stuttered, freezing like a deer caught in the headlights. Akira pressed on, his mind racing.

 

“Your back was facing the explosion right? I’m just checking for injuries.”

 

Akira narrowed his eyes and stubbornly crossed his arms. Leandro tried to advert the conversation topic, desperately trying to get away only for Akira to grasp his wrist, holding him in place. The Cuban grunted in displeasure. “‘Kira... I’m fine I swe-”

 

“Just let me see!”

 

“Why? I’m fine! It wasn’t even that bad!”

 

“Bullshit! You and I both know that you’re not just _fine!_ ”

 

They began wrestling, Akira pinning Leandro to the bed as he struggled back, twisting his way out of his arms only for him to be tackled again.

 

“Kira I swear it’s just a scar! There’s nothing wro-”

 

“Well, I don’t know that for sure! Can you blame me after you almost _died?_ ”

 

Silence rang through the air after the outburst from Akira, who sat with wide eyes just realizing what he had done. Leandro’s face blanked.

 

“Oh my god… Leo, I didn’t mean… I just-”

 

“No, you’re right…” Leandro sighed and sat up, gently nudging Akira off him.

 

“You deserve to know.”

 

Leandro shifted over, his back now facing Akira, whose breath caught in his throat as he braced himself. Slowly, Leandro raised his shirt and Akira’s heart dropped. He choked back a sob as he reached forward. On his back was a large scar, pink and angry that trailed from his shoulder blades all the way down to the small of his back. It looked like a piece of metal had sliced his back open rather than an impact like Akira thought.

 

“Can I?...”

 

“Yeah… you can touch it.”

 

Akira traced a hand from the top to the bottom, moving his fingers gingerly as if he would hurt Leandro even more. He could see the Cuban wince and grit his teeth as he touched the wound. He shut his eyes, hands curling into a fist as he reached the bottom of the scar. “I’m so sorry…” he choked out.

 

Leandro turned around instantly. “Don’t.” He grabbed at Akira’s face and forced him to look into his eyes. “Don’t say you’re sorry. It’s not your fault. You saved me, Akira. If you hadn’t shown up, I would have died.”

 

Akira could hold back a retort as he shook his head. He lunged forward, pressing his face into Leandro’s chest. “I could have done more, though… if only I had noticed the bomb on Sendak earlier, if I had gotten there sooner.” He breathed in Leandro scent as he pressed closer, clutching at the t-shirt what he wore. “Just… don’t leave me alone again. Please…” Akira sobbed as Leandro wrapped his arms around. He relaxed into the touch, his body sinking as he sniffled.

 

Leandro brought his hand up and ran it through Akira’s hair, combing through it with gentle fingers as his eyes began to droop.

 

Not another word was spoken that night.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Akira woke up to light snoring. He extended his arms and wrapped around something, snuggling into it, his face pressing into a chest. He sighed in content, as a wave of comfort washed over him. Just as he was about to fall asleep again, Akira felt something shift underneath him. _Wait…_

 

His eyes snapped open as he sat up quickly. He gazed down and found Leandro laying there on the bed, still asleep. Akira glanced over his body to the other side of the room, finding another empty bed… _his_ bed. _Which means…_ His face flushed as he processed what exactly had happened.

 

Akira brought a hand up to cover his face, as if it would push the thought away.

 

He felt Leandro roll over on the bed and hooked his arms around Akira’s waist. Suddenly, he’s being pulled back into bed, under the sheets and cuddled against the other boy. His cheeks reddened even more as their warm skin made contact.

 

Akira faced Leandro, his faced pulled into a pout as he poked his cheeks. “Hey, Leo. Wake up.” Akira mumbled, trying to detach the Leandro’s arms from his waist, who only pulled him in closer. “Noo… it’s too early.” He whined as he nuzzled his face into Akira’s neck. He groaned and took a glance at the time.

 

“Early? Leo, it’s almost 10! Get up ya big lump!” He shoved the whining boy off of him and jumped out of bed before he could pull him back. Leandro cracked an eye open and pouted.

 

“Killjoy…” he grumbled as he sat up. He let out a big yawn and stretched, raising his arms over his head. He turned to face Akira and smirked.

 

“Nice bedhead.” He said smugly and attempted to rub the mess on Akira’s head. Akira ducked out of the way and yelped as he fell backwards. His body began to slip as he tumbled off the bed, landing on the ground with a ‘thump.’. He glared at Leandro, who was holding his stomach, laughing his ass off.

 

“Not. Funny.”

 

“Pfft… tha-that was pretty funny.” he stuttered out between giggles. Akira got up and turned away. Grumbling under his breath, he headed over to the washroom. Leandro stopped and dramatically reached out. “Don’t leave me here! ‘Kira I thought you loved meeee!” He cried as he crawled to the edge of the bed.

 

Before Akira stepped through the door, he called over his shoulder with a smirk. “Oh yeah! By the way, when you’re done with your drama, get changed for a long day out. We’re having some fun today”. He winked before shutting the door behind him, leaving a flabbergasted Leandro, stuttering as he dropped the smug look on his face.

 

Akira held back a snort as he turned on the sink to begin his morning routine.

 

* * *

 

Leandro sat on the bed in confusion after Akira’s statement.

 

“C’mon ‘Kira, you can’t just leave me hanging like this!” He groaned as Akira walked through the door without a second glance. Leandro sat there in silence as the loud bang of the washroom door slammed shut in his face.

 

He slowly got up, finally finding the will to get out of bed and headed over to where his olive green jacket was hung up. As he lifted his jacket, he noticed that his clothes were missing. His eyebrows raised. “Uhhh… ‘Kira where are my clothes?” He shouted, hoping his voice could project through the door.

 

“It’s in the wash! Go find something else to wear! There should be spare clothes in the closet!” A muffled voice responded.

 

Leandro shrugged and made his way through the room to the “closet”. He flung the door open, revealing different sizes of the same tank tops and pants. They were all black with a couple stripes of white streaked across the side. They seemed to be some sort of set as they were the same design and colour. Leandro pulled one out that seemed like his size and quickly got changed.

 

Just as he pulled his shirt over his head, the doors to the bathroom opened up.  “You ready?” Leandro heard Akira call out as his footsteps followed. “Yeah… but where are we going?”

 

Akira took his red jacket from the hanger and slipped his arms through the sleeves. “We’re heading out and having some fun today! We’ve both been working very hard to take down Sendak. I think we deserve a break and a little celebration. Besides, I heard that there’s an event to celebrate the meteor shower tonight! They’re holding some sort of fair somewhere in the center square of the town nearby. We can head off to the hill to watch the stars when it gets dark!” He exclaims, and turns around to face Leandro with a wide grin on his face.

 

“Wait… what?” Leandro gasped. His mouth was wide open as a look of shock was clear on his face. Akira was _not_ expecting this kind of reaction. For one, he thought that Leandro would be overjoyed to relax a bit after everything that happened. _Was he wrong?_  He laughed nervously. “Uh… surprise?”

 

Leandro lowered his head, his face now unreadable. “‘Kira…”

 

“U-um… I mean… I just thought that like… because you just recovered! I thought we should take a break… You  know…?” He stuttered out, confused with the other’s expression.

 

“Kira… I-”

 

Akira gulped, ready for the worst of the worst.

 

Leandro’s face lit up with excitement as he bounced up and down on the spot.

 

“I’m only going if I get to choose your outfit at the mall!” He exclaimed. Akira sighed in relief, a hand coming up to his chest. “I thought you were mad at me for a second… though I’m not sure why you would get mad at all?” He states, exasperated. Leandro giggled.

 

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s head out!”

 

* * *

 

The bright sun shone down on Akira as he brought a hand up to cover his eyes from the blinding light. He leaned against a nearby tree and let out a sigh. Little kids ran by him, laughing as the chase each other and Akira couldn’t help but smile as he took in the sight of the city park. The green trees, the flowers, so many colours that he couldn’t even count how many, and the clear blue sky.

 

Akira suddenly felt something bump into his side. He glanced down as a little boy with raven hair stared back at him. His wide, blue eyes staring back into his. “Oh! Sorry mister!” the little boy yelped before stumbling to his feet and running off to a young woman who seemed to be his mother. The mother scolded the young child before sighing and giving a soft smile.

 

Akira watched as his heart clenched at the sighed. His thoughts trailed over to Takashi and Dante (...and Leandro), and felt his throat tighten as he tries to push the negative thoughts away.

 

“Kira! I got your ice cream!” A voice called out, breaking his train of thought. He snapped his head towards the sound and a grin unconsciously formed onto his face.

 

“Leo! What took you so long?”

 

“Sorry, the line was long.” Leandro licked his cone and handed Akira the other, who gladly took his mint chocolate chip. He gave a couple of  licks, letting out a satisfied sigh as the minty flavour entered his mouth. They stood there for a moment, enjoying their little treat before Leandro spoke up.

 

“So, where are we heading?”

 

“To the center square. They’re holding little booths there we can play around and I think there are some shops we can take a look at.” he states as they began walking down the street, passing unfamiliar faces. They smile as children of different species run past them, giggling and having the time of their lives. It truly felt like there was peace in the world for once, a place where the galra weren’t attacking and threatening to kill everyone.

 

Leandro grabbed Akira’s arm and tugged. “Kira look!” He pointed to a red and yellow carnival-like booth off to the left. There were balloons set up and spread out across the small space that the booth had with two shotgun-like guns resting on the side. What really caught his attention however, was the hippo plush that was hanging in the back.

 

They made their way over to the stand as Leandro finishes the last of his cone.

 

“Watch this.”

 

Leandro smirked, and Akira could swear he could feel his cheeks heat up. He grumbled and turned his head away, finishing the rest of his ice cream. He hands the person running the booth some money before picking up one of the guns and cocking it.

 

“Leo, what are yo-”

 

Abruptly, Akira is cut off by a bang. He shut his mouth as he stared at Leandro, who was taking aim with the gun. He fired another shot. Then, another. And another, until there were no bullets  left. Akira stood there in a state of shock as a million thoughts ran through his head at the same time.

 

_Oh no!… he’s hot!…_

 

He turned his head to the balloons only to find them all popped. He stood there in shock, mouth wide open and wide eyes. The expression of the person who ran the bar mirrored Akira’s as they stuttered. “W-What… was that...?” Akira grabbed Leandro by the shoulders and turned him around. Leandro only smirked as leaned in closer.

 

“Impressed?”

 

Akira’s face flushed a deep red colour as he pushed the Cuban away, who barked out a laugh. Akira grumbled and crossed his arms, trying, and failing to calm down. Suddenly, something gets thrust into his arms. Akira looked down to find a large hippo plushie resting in his hands. His eyes trailed back up towards Leandro, who was standing in front of him with wide grin.

 

“For you.” He said before walking off to another booth, claiming that he was ‘starving.’

 

Akira looked down at the hippo again and gave it a small squeeze. It was soft and fluffy, perfect for a little child to hug when going to bed. He smiled and brought it against his chest. “Thank you…” He whispered to Leandro, even though he knew he couldn’t hear him, before walking off to find where the Cuban had run off to.

 

* * *

 

Akira wandered around by himself for 15 minutes, looking for Leandro in the crowded streets while hugging his new stuffed toy to his chest. “Leo!” He called out, scanning the crowd again for a sign of the tall Cuban. He groaned, unable to spot him.

 

He grumbles as frustration builds up in his chest. “God damn it Leo, where the heck are you?!” He exclaims, fed up with the situation. They were supposed to head out and have fun for god's sakes. Not running off alone and getting lost again…

 

Someone bumps into his side.

 

Just as Akira was about to lose it and snap, he faces the person and stops in his tracks. There stood Leandro, walking down the steps of a shop he had just exited. Akira was about to go off and scold him before he looked over to the name of the shop that he had just exited.

 

‘The Balmera Jewelry Shop’

 

“Uh… what were you doing in a jewelry shop?”

 

“N-Nothing! I swear! I thought I-uh… I saw someone I recognized!”

 

Akira raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. He then dragged Leandro by his side. Without a second thought, closing his hand on the Cubans. His cheeks were flushed as he racked his mind for an excuse. Before he could get anything out, Leandro clutched his hand tighter. He tried his best not to think about how soft and warm his hands were.

 

Akira squeaked out an excuse to explain his actions.

 

“It’s so that we don’t get separated ok? I don’t… wanna lose you again…” He stuttered out, clearly embarrassed. Leandro giggled and brought their hands up to his lips and placed a small kiss on the back of Akira’s hand. “Sure ‘Kira.”

 

Akira grumbled as he tugged Leandro back down the street as they continued to explore the area. The entire time Akira held onto Leandro’s hand as they dragged each other around to different booths. Stopped by almost every booth. One might catch Leandro’s attention where another might snatch Akira.

 

They ended up visiting almost every little nook and cranny of the square, not that Akira was complaining, he loved spending time with Leandro, no matter what they did.

 

“Oh.. my god… ‘Kira look. There’s a fountain… We have to go play in the water!” He squealed like a little kid, running over to the giant fountain of water in the middle of the street. Akira gets dragged over and instantly regretted everything. He watched as Leandro threw off his jacket and jumped into the water.

 

He giggled as he splashed around.

 

“Come on Kira! It feels great!” Akira shook his head and tried to pull Leandro out of the fountain. He tugged, but to no avail. Giving up, Akira groaned as he noticed people around stopping to stare at the peculiar sight. “Leo, people are staring… get out.” He muttered under his breath.

 

Leandro stilled. He turned around to face Akira with a blank face.

 

They both faced each other as if they were having a staring competition. Leandro suddenly surged forward, breaking their gaze and pulled Akira into the fountain, who yelped as the cold water splashed onto his body. Akira shivered as he pushed himself up, standing up straight.

 

His eyebrows furrowed as he stared daggers at Leandro, who was bent over laughing.

 

“Oh…my god…You should have seen the look on your face!” He exclaims between his laughing fit. Akira reached forward and dunked Leandro’s head into the water, who began flailing around, his hands coming up to push the Akira’s off.

 

Leandro came up, sputtering as he wiped his face.

 

“You… are a bad person.” He muttered, and pouted as Akira stifled his laughter behind his hand.

 

“Oh grow up you big baby.” Akira laughed as he pulled Leandro up. They both stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter, doubling over and clutching their stomachs without a care in the world. Akira was very aware of the eyes and the disgusted looks from the civilians passing by, but he couldn’t care less.

 

“Hey! You two!”  


Akira’s whipped his head around and caught sight of a rather bulky man stomping towards them, an angry look on their face. Upon further inspection, he noticed a badge on their chest and a navy blue uniform.

 

“Oh shit… that’s security.”

 

“Get out of the fountain!”

 

Akira yelped and jumped out, Leandro following closely. He reached for his red jacket and threw it on before grabbing Leandro’s hand and bolting away.

 

“Stop right there!”

 

“K-Kira wait!” Leandro protested as he struggled to keep his jacket on, as it was hanging loosely off his shoulder. He hadn’t had enough time to put it on properly before Akira pulled him away. “Not now Leo!” Akira shouted as he sped up.

 

He turned his head to face forward, pushing his legs faster. He turns the next corner and ducks behind an empty stand. He holds Leandro to his chest. “Kira I-” “Shh. Not now…” Akira hushed as he peeked around the corner. Leandro sighed and gave in, sitting down and propping his back against the wall as he raised an eyebrow.

 

Akira heard footsteps echoing closer as he pulls back and ducks behind the booth again. Once the footsteps seem to have passed by, he released a sigh of relief.

 

He turns his face towards Leandro as they stared at each other for a moment, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

 

“Did you see the look on his face?”

 

“Yeah! Holy shit… He was so mad at us, and everyone was so confused.”

 

“Pff… never doing that again…”

 

Leandro gave Akira a look. “Really? Never again?”

 

Akira shook his head. “Nope. Not happening.” He crossed his arms and turned away, like he was pouting. Leandro scoffed, his hands coming up as he gestured sassily.

 

“Oh come on, you have to say that was at least a little fun…”

 

Akira hummed and responds in a playful tone. “Maybe.. just a little.”

 

Leandro threw his arms up in triumph. “I knew it! We are so doing that again some time.” Akira yelped as Leandro leaned forward and threw his arms around his shoulders. The smug look on his face disappeared and was replaced with blush as the Cuban began snuggling into his chest.

 

_Oh lord give me strength._

 

* * *

 

The day seemed to have passed by so quick. One minute the sun was high in the sky, and they were playing around, exploring every little inch the place had to offer, the next it was night. The stars had come out, and the sun had set.

 

Akira had found a spot on the top of a hill near the town, more secluded and further from where everyone else was. As they set up their blankets and settled down, Leandro fidgeted nervously. He had a surprise for Akira, but he didn’t exactly know how to give it to him. He couldn’t just whip it out or shove it in his hand. _He had to wait for the right moment…_

 

 _..._ was what he told himself hours ago.

Honestly, at this moment it felt like it was a do-or-die situation. Leandro grumbled, frustrated with himself that he couldn’t do this one thing. He felt a tap on his shoulder and whipped his head around. Akira stood there with a frown on his face. “Hey, we’re done setting up… you good?”

 

Leandro stuttered. “Yeah! I’m fine.” Akira raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off. He sat down on the blanket, propping himself on his arms. Leandro sat next to him and copied his movements.

 

They sat in silence as they enjoyed the view of the stars above. Looking at it now, Leandro thought it was a pretty good place to settle down. There wasn’t anyone nearby to distract them, the area was relatively calm, and there was a small, comforting breeze that would whisk by every once in awhile.

 

_Now. Now is a good time to give it to him._

 

Leandro took a deep breath and steeled his nerves. He could do this. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, a bright light streaked across the sky. “Leo, it’s starting!” Akira grabbed at Leandro’s arm, excited. Suddenly, as if a universal switch was flipped, the sky began raining silver streaks.

 

Leandro sat there with his mouth agape, staring up into the sky in awe. He had never seen anything like this. The way the meteors mimicked the looks of rain, like glass shards glittering through rays of light. It was… Beautiful.

 

Leandro turned his body to face Akira, who marveled at the sight above him. There he sat, his head craned up to the stars. His dark hair looked soft in the light of the night sky. Leandro looked his shining eyes, the dark pools looking like galaxies as bright light from the meteor shower refracted off of them. The soft glow from lights above made it look like he was glowing. The colours reflecting onto his starstruck face, which gasped whenever another ‘star’ streaked across the sky.

 

He was _beautiful._

 

_Now would be a great time to give him the present_

 

Leandro’s thoughts began swirling  as he tried to silence them. _Come on, do it… you’ll never get another chance like this._ ‘Jeez, I know. Shut up.’ He growled in his mind, slightly fed up with his own thoughts.

 

“Did you say something?” Akira mumbles, his face now inches away from Leandro’s, his hair framing his face almost perfectly. The way the soft glow of the lights above made it look like he himself was glowing. The soft glow bringing out the colours in his eyes further. The Cuban could feel his face flush. “U-uh…” _do it now you quiznacking idiot._ “Actually… yeah.”

 

Akira raised an eyebrow as Leandro tried his best not to die right then and there from the cuteness. Without a second thought, Leandro reached into his pocket and pulled something small out. He took one of Akira’s hands and thrust a small object it upon him.

 

Leandro silently thanked the dim lights around for mostly hiding the incredibly red blush forming on his cheeks. “U-Uh… I uh.. got this for you… As a promise to stay together...” He mumbled. “Of course, not in the marriage kind of way! I mean more of a promise to like… stick together you know?” He quickly added, embarrassed.

 

Leandro waited for a reaction… but nothing came. No complaints, no gasps, nothing. No noise at all. Leandro could feel his heart thump as it sank. _Ah… he doesn’t like it after all…_  The Cuban raised his head to say something. Before he got a chance to even open his mouth, Akira threw himself at him.

 

Leandro looked down to see Akira pressed into his chest, slightly sobbing as his tears stain the black shirt he had on. “K-Kira?” He whispered hesitantly. Akira shook his head, clutching on tighter. “I-I…” he tried to speak and continue, but nothing else came out.

 

Leandro sat there, holding him in his arms.

 

They stay like that for a while, before Akira pushes off and gave a small smile. “Thank you… so much…”

 

Leandro let out a sigh of a relief. “Of course…” Akira wipes his tears away and brought the ring up to his face to get a closer look at it. The silver of the metal shone as he twisted it around. His eyes spotted a small, red gem implanted in the center of the ring. The gem shone like the embers of a fire, almost as if there was a flame trapped inside.

 

The Cuban pulled out another ring, almost identical to Akira’s, only with a blue gem. He also pulled out two pieces of string and loops it through the ring, creating a necklace of some sort. Leandro then brought it around Akira’s neck, and tied a knot. “It’ll get in the way in the face of battle. It’ll be safer here.” He whispered as he let it hang, the weight now settling on Akira’s chest, who brought it into his hands again, fiddling with it.

 

Leandro does the same for his, looping a string through his ring and tying a knot before slipping it over his head. He stared at Akira’s content face a little longer before turning his face back to the stars.

 

Almost unconsciously, they scooted closer to each other until they were almost pressed up against each other. There they sat, watching the stars streak by as a warm feeling in Leandro’s chest spread across his body. At some point, their hands laced with each other. No words were exchanged.

 

As quickly as it started, it was all over. The meteors stopped coming, and the sky was back to its usual state. Dark and endless. The only source of light was the moon shining above.

 

Leandro stood up to pack their blanket spread across the grass.

 

Akira got up as well, facing Leandro with a soft smile on his face. “A promise, huh?”

 

Leandro stopped his movements and gazed at the other. He took a moment to process before a big grin split across his face.

 

“Of course. I promise to stay with you, no matter what.”

 

“How do I know you won’t break it?”

 

Leandro’s gaze softens.

 

“Because this is _my promise to you.”_

 

—————

 

_Arc 1 Completed_

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAANNDD SCENE. 
> 
> This is the end of the First Arc. Their relationship is now established. I wish I could have made it a little longer, add more details and maybe a couple more chapters, but I wanted to limit myself to a total of 13-15 chapters for this fic. While these three chapters tell you the story behind Leandro and Akira's bond, the next chapter and moving onward will be branching out to multiple characters, and not just these two. 
> 
> So strap in kids, we're going on a ride B)
> 
> OF COURSE, THANK YOU TO MY LOVELY EDITORS FOR HELPING ME FIX ALL OF MY HORRID MISTAKES AND I'LL SEE Y'ALL MAYBE IN 2-4 WEEKS :)
> 
> Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/torizwaves  
> Twitter:https://twitter.com/raiyaxx_


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